In today’s MIT Technology Review we learned about a new device that can control human movements, albeit crudely, by tricking us into thinking we’re falling:
The devices work by stimulating the vestibular system — a set of tiny structures just behind the ear that keep the head upright and make the visual world appear steady, even when a person is walking and looking around…
Scientists can stimulate the vestibular system with a small jolt of electricity delivered just behind the ear from a small external device, sending the normal vestibular signals out of whack. Last summer, Japanese scientists from Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Communication Science Laboratories demonstrated such a device at a technical conference in Los Angeles. Volunteers put on an odd-looking set of headphones and a blindfold, while someone else pushed buttons on the remote controller, making the blindfolded subject weave awkwardly around the room.
But the device doesn’t work as well as a remote-controlled car. A quick jolt to one side of the head makes people feel like they’re falling over, so they correct their balance by moving to one side or the other, creating a swaying type of walk. And the person must be blindfolded for the device to work, otherwise visual signals will correct for the apparent mismatch in head position.
Scientists at Mount Sinai and elsewhere are developing this technology to help astronauts land the shuttle, repair damage from tumors or surgery, or for their own sadistic purposes.
More from the laboratory of Steven Moore…