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[EN VIDÉO] Kézako: How does an astronaut train for weightlessness? Before heading to the ISS, or perhaps soon to Mars, astronauts undergo training…
When it comes to astronaut well-being, mental health is of particular importance due to its intimate nature. Astronauts' mental health is more difficult to address than other medical issues, such as heart or physical ailments, and presents a unique challenge because it is difficult for them to talk about or open up to others. Maintaining good mental health in space or on the Moon is critical to the success of a mission and the safety of the crew. Although astronauts are thoroughly prepared and receive ongoing psychological support, sometimes this is not enough. In such cases, more customized solutions could prove extremely beneficial.
Among the solutions planned to improve their stress management and cognitive functions, Coreod Space, a French start-up, is launching SAT (Space Agent Traveler), the first AI-powered virtual reality headset dedicated to the mental health of astronauts about neuropsychological studies carried out at Lirnas (International Space Neuropsychology Research Laboratory) over the last ten years.
As Doctor Elise Jabès, founder and CEO of Coreod Space, points out, this innovation aims to “revolutionize space exploration through the integration of artificial intelligence and virtual reality”. Based on data, this immersive solution aims to “stimulate the cognitive and neuropsychological functions of astronauts, helping them survive and thrive during their space missions.”
Serving the mental health of astronauts
This AI-based virtual reality headset aims to stabilize the mind and emotions of its users through personalized digital therapies. It goes beyond a simple anti-stress tool to implement neuropsychological protocols based on neuroplasticity that allow the brain to adapt and restructure its neural connections in response to a simulated environment. AI transforms these protocols into personalized immersive therapies, giving each user the opportunity to maintain their mental health, resilience and mindfulness.
“AI transforms these protocols into personalized immersive therapies, giving each user the opportunity to maintain their mental health, resilience and mindfulness.”
When tested in the simulated Lirnas environment, SAT showed positive results, including a 42% improvement in sleep, a 45% reduction in anxiety and stress, and a 37% increase in mental calmness.
“After more than 10 years of research in neuropsychology, we are excited to bring our AI-powered VR solution for astronauts to market. It will allow them to stay in space longer by improving their stress management and cognitive functions in small, isolated habitats. It is important to ensure the success and safety of missions, from Earth to the Moon to Mars. SAT by Coreod Space perfectly embodies our mission: to help every person grow beyond themselves by controlling their emotions and optimizing their potential,” emphasizes Dr. Elise Jabes.
Ultimately, this solution could be adapted to professionals from other industries who face similar challenges to astronauts and work in isolated, confined and extreme environments (ICE).
Let's give the floor to Doctor Elise Jabès, CEO of Coreod Space:
Futura: How do your digital health solution and SAT (Space Agent Traveler) virtual reality headset for astronauts differ from those of HTC, which is also developing a VR headset to protect astronauts' mental health?
Elise Jabes: HTC has a solution that also addresses mental health in space, but we believe there is a real difference between our system and theirs. Their solution requires installing a functional VR headset in space and zero gravity, which can cause motion sickness (or motion sickness, editor's note); Your solution then depends on the use of the HTC headset that you have programmed and edited. We offer software that integrates any VR headset already used in space. I would like to add that our protocols are immersive and non-interactive, so motion sickness will not occur during or after use.
Innovation in space: a VR headset to maintain astronauts' mental health
So HTC's solution to curb astronauts' stress by giving them interactive virtual reality sessions with a terrestrial environment is very different from your immersive solution to ensure their mental health?
Elise Jabes: Yes. Our solutions are based on more than 10 years of neuroscientific research. Our approach focuses on using audio-visual stimuli (integrated into a VR headset) to help individuals reprogram their emotional and behavioral responses. By leveraging the brain's plasticity mechanisms to promote more positive and adaptive thought patterns, our protocols are based on neuroplasticity principles, which consist of modifying neural connections in the brain to change thought patterns and behaviors.
Do these audiovisual stimuli modify these neural connections, so to speak?
Elise Jabes: Yes. We use a combination of audio (sounds, voices, words) and visual elements (colors, images, videos) to stimulate targeted neural waves tailored to specific topics. The aim is to modify existing thought patterns by modifying circuits of neurons in the brain.
Specifically, could your solution result in an astronaut somehow coming to his senses in a stressful situation (leading to lack of self-confidence, loss of resources, and the risk of doing his job poorly)?
Elise Jabes: It is very ambitious to say yes because the astronauts are extremely well selected and have a mentality that is designed to withstand any test. But given that space travel is now becoming more common and there is a need to travel further and therefore spend longer in confined spaces, I will therefore answer this question with “yes”.
The cumulative stress of a stressful situation has undeniable physiological and psychological effects that lead to negative repetitive thinking. This thought is a closed neural circuit that builds this circuit every time this situation occurs. Our protocols manage to open this closed loop to give the user the opportunity to have another choice: that of doing it well and considering themselves capable of completing that task. This is brain plasticity. Our protocols aim to open these closed thought patterns, allowing the user to choose a different response.
In this scenario, the user can learn to believe that they are capable of success and not fall into stress and lack of confidence, but act accordingly. This process of changing thought patterns is then linked to brain plasticity, the brain's ability to remodel and create new neural connections in response to experience, learning, and other factors.
Stressful situations can come from a variety of sources.
Elise Jabes: Effectively. For this reason, our solutions are divided into several protocols dedicated not only to stress management but also to different topics. For example, we have the protocol for improving sleep, improving psychomotor skills for spacewalks, etc.
You said your virtual reality headset would be “boosted by artificial intelligence”?
Elise Jabes: Absolutely. This is also a very important point in our solution, we use artificial intelligence to better adapt the protocols to the user and the desired topic.
Although VR therapy is increasingly being used in the field of e-mental health, there are still few solutions that can be adapted to the specific environment of astronauts. NASA, the European Space Agency and other stakeholders therefore see AI as a key element of future space exploration, such as missions to the moon Atermis and even beyond. Its goal is to better address the challenges associated with long journeys, where the high latency between Earth and Mars deprives astronauts of any direct contact. Ultimately, it aims to increase the duration and efficiency of space missions by ensuring the mental strength and adaptability of astronauts, as well as their emotional and cognitive well-being, by filling the gap between Earth and Mars thanks to real therapeutic tools in VR led by will be our AI SAT.
Is the contribution of the use of artificial intelligence anything but anecdotal?
Elise Jabes: Yes. I believe our artificial intelligence-enhanced helmet will enable astronauts to stay in space longer by improving their stress management and cognitive functions in small isolated habitats. SAT tends to help each user grow beyond themselves by controlling their emotions and optimizing their potential.
Whether on the Moon, on Mars or during space travel, astronomers are forced to operate in limited, isolated and extreme contexts. Could your SAT solution adapt to other ICE environments on Earth?
Elise Jabes: Yes. Our solution is compatible with these environments, where professionals from other industries face similar challenges to astronauts. I think of deployed military personnel, submariners, workers on offshore oil platforms, scientists in remote research sites like Antarctica, and even explorers and mountaineers in polar regions. The challenges correspond to their missions. Our SAT solution responds to this problem by generating digital protocols adapted to the respective situation. We are also in the process of adapting our solutions to the general public and in a future article we will tell you about our AI “Lyor”, which will be your best companion for perfect mental and physical health. Stay tuned!