NASA plans to take HTC's virtual reality headset into space to evaluate its positive impact on astronauts' mental health. This pioneering initiative involves sending HTC's VIVE Focus 3 headset to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX cargo ship, as part of an experiment scheduled for no earlier than November 9, 2023.
Here's everything we know about this news.
Valve HTC chosen for this mission
According to Space.com , HTC's VIVE Focus 3 headset, developed in collaboration with Valve, will be used by European astronaut Andreas Mogensen of the European Space Agency.
This experiment aims to measure the effects of virtual reality on the mental health of Mogensen and other astronauts, who will use it for more than six months before returning home with the Crew-7 mission.
The flight test sessions will include viewing virtual reality videos and participating in NASA-designed quizzes.
Vive is a VR headset jointly manufactured by HTC and Valve, it was revealed at Mobile World Congress in March 2015, and at CES 2016, Vive won over 22 awards.
That's why he's now earned his right to go to NASA.
This is not the first time that virtual reality has reached space.
A crucial aspect of the experiment is adapting the glasses to function in microgravity conditions.
Astronauts on the International Space Station have used virtual reality headsets many times in space. For example, in 2021, NASA astronaut and Expedition 65 flight engineer Megan McArthur used a pair of high-tech glasses called "Sidekick," a retrofitted Microsoft HoloLens, for an augmented reality experiment.
The problem so far has been that previous VR headsets have had a tendency to induce motion sickness due to "multiple challenges related to tracking and orientation, vibration, motion, and content drift, as headsets typically use gravity to align the view," according to the XRHealth statement.
Hence the importance of this new mission, HTC's VIVE Focus 3, which brings with it significant, undisclosed changes that will help mitigate all the challenges of the ISS's microgravity environment. However, it is known that given the challenging nature of microgravity for devices like the VIVE Focus 3, the simulator uses a tracking method based on physical controls rather than relying on gravity for alignment.
Among the companies participating in this development were XRHealth, Nord-Space Aps and HTC Vive.
What health problems do astronauts experience in space?
The experiment seeks to address mental health issues astronauts face during extended spaceflight, such as isolation, stress, and feelings of confinement. Despite the rigorous psychological testing and leadership training astronauts undergo, living for months in close quarters brings unique challenges.
The results of the experiment will be monitored through the European Space Agency's EveryWear app, originally used to measure food intake. These results will be studied and adapted for potential application in stress management, especially for conditions such as anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Cher Wang, HTC's president and co-founder, expressed her enthusiasm, describing this mission as "a great honor and a testament to her company's innovative spirit." She also highlighted the historic significance of this event for the world of virtual reality and the development of VR headsets .