ABSTRACT
My colleagues and I study human movement control, orientation, and adaptation in unusual force environments. Being able to work in these conditions is, besides being scientifically rewarding, enormous fun. Our work has been supported for many years by the Air force Office of Scientific Research. Several years ago, Dr Willard Larkin, our program officer, after thinking about the wide range of observations on human performance we had and were carrying out, suggested that we develop a model that provided a unifying explanatory basis for them. This challenge led us to develop a new model of orientation in which the vestibular system is calibrated and its output interpreted in relation to the 1g force acceleration of Earth gravity. The model predicts the results of earlier studies of exposure to non-1g acceleration levels and the illusory changes in visual and self-orientation associated with these exposures. It also makes unique predictions that were verified experimentally. This chapter describes the background experiments and scientific journey with its twists and turns that led to this new model and viewpoint.
