Development and validation of an electrically controlled rotatory chair to be used as a simulator for spatial disorientation and motion sickness

The vestibular system, along with the eyes and proprioceptors, is responsible for the maintenance of balance. Two very common causes of accidents and incidents during flights and space missions are spatial disorientation and motion sickness. Since its invention by the physiologist Robert Barany, rotatory chairs have been widely used to train pilots and astronauts in relation to the effects of angular accelerations and microgravity on the semicircular canals. This paper presents the development of an electrically controlled rotatory chair (ECRC), the unique device of this type used as a simulator for spatial disorientation and motion sickness in Brazil. Validation of the ECRC was performed through the evaluation of the effects of a drug (scopolamine) on the prevention of signs and symptoms of motion sickness.