Mona Minkara floats in zero gravity. Credit: Steve Boxall / ZERO-G
Orientation and Mobility of a Blind Person in Zero-G
MONA MINKARA, MISSION: ASTROACCESS
Project Goals
Test the use of a light sensor app on a cell phone to orient in zero gravity. I used the Light Detector app which transforms any natural or artificial light source it encounters into sound.
Test the use of the transparency mode of sound-canceling headphones to eliminate the loud background noise of zero g flights.
Test the use of textured walls in the spacecraft to orient in zero g.
Test my accuracy in orienting and moving in a zero-g environment through the use of a microphone, cameras, and narration.
The Horizon 2022 flight was a very positive experience. This was my third zero-g flight. I noticed that after the first two flights, when I got off the plane, my body still felt like it wanted to be weightless. My movements were awkward. On the third flight, after deboarding the plane, I didn’t feel this difference. My body had already made the adjustments.
I had a leg strap on the floor that was my homing beacon. I used this as my return point, and even used this strap for flips.
Lessons Learned / Takeaways
Light sensors were not useful for navigation in a zero g aircraft. The technology is not precise enough to differentiate between the ceiling light and the light reflecting all over the cabin (because the interior is white). Also, we realized that we don’t want to depend on light for navigation. A power and benefit of having a blind person aboard is their ability to navigate without sight (light).
Sound canceling headphones cancel all sound, not just background noise. They also kept slipping off my head. I found this to be very disorienting and not useful.
Textured walls were fantastic navigational tools in zero g. The floor of the craft is flat and has padding and leg straps. The ceiling is smooth and has light fixtures. We put texture ¾ up the walls in the 10’ section of the plane where I was stationed. On one wall we used a corduroy fabric (one direction smooth, one direction rough). On the other wall we used a velcro pattern designed with various densities. The design of the patterns enabled me to orient how far up the wall I was.
To truly measure accuracy of orientation, I wore a mic and positioned multiple video cameras to point directly at me. I narrated my sense of placement in space during the entirety of each zero gravity instance. I attempted to disorient myself by spinning. I tested using passive (describing where I am) and active (getting into a declared position) orientation.
I would like to continue researching and designing different textured walls for orientation and mobility in zero-g. I would like to increase the precision by experimenting with different designs so that I can more accurately determine both how far forward in the plane I am, and how far up from the ground.
I also used a tiny 6” space cane which helps with mobility and orientation. I would like to work towards designing a better way to holster the cane to my body.
Because this is my third flight, I noticed that I’ve learned how to control my movements and understand the space more clearly.
Storytelling Plans
I am part of a YouTube documentary project called Planes, Trains, Canes. We are creating a Zero Gravity special edition to debut on our channel. In addition, I intend to analyze and publish the results of this mobility and orientation research.
Project Contributors
Mona Minkara, Sheri Wells-Jensen, Anna Volker