A training methodology for spatial orientation in spacecraft

This thesis investigates a way to use virtual reality techniques to teach space vehicle inhabitants about the configuration of their craft so that their performance in orientation and spatial memory tasks is improved. An "adjacency training" method was developed that taught connections between landmarks in two joined modules with inconsistent visual verticals by emphasizing functional relationships among adjacent surfaces within and between modules. An experiment was performed (n = 17) that compared this training with a control treatment that emphasized the rotational relationship between the two modules as a whole rather than connections between individual surfaces. On average, adjacency training was not effective in decreasing the total time to respond or increasing the accuracy in placement and orientation of module walls between the two modules. Adjacency trained subjects were significantly better in responding to a novel perspective. All subjects responded to an orienting cue surface more quickly when visually upright, suggesting their spatial knowledge of both groups remained orientation dependent.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2006

Author dc:creator

• Buckland, Daniel Aaron

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Charles M. Oman.

• Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/37853

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/37853