When shifting from the microgravity of a spacecraft to the gravity-rich environment of the moon or Mars, astronauts experience deficits in perceptual and motor functions. The vestibular system in the inner ear, which detects the position and movement of the head, must adjust to reinterpret new gravity cues.

A University of Michigan-led team, including researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder's Bioastronautics Lab and NASA's Neuroscience Lab at Johnson Space Center, developed a multidirectional tapping task administered in augmented reality (AR) to detect sensorimotor impairments similar to those observed in astronauts after spaceflight.

The results, published in Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance, could support mission operations decisions by establishing when astronauts are able to perform tasks that require full coordination, like piloting vehicles or operating other complex systems.

Field tests to assess sensorimotor impairment have previously been conducted upon the return of International Space Station crew members to Earth.