Eye tracking on the ISS

The eye-tracking device (ETD) is a headmounted device, designed for measurement of 3D eye and head movements under experimental and natural conditions. The tracker permits comprehensive measurement of eye movement (three degrees of freedom) and optionally head movement (six degrees of freedom). It represents a tool for the investigation of sensorimotor behaviour, particularly of the vestibular and oculomotor systems in both health and disease. The eye-tracking device (ETD) is a headmounted device, designed for measurement of 3D eye and head movements under experimental and natural conditions. The tracker permits comprehensive measurement of eye movement (three degrees of freedom) and optionally head movement (six degrees of freedom). It represents a tool for the investigation of sensorimotor behaviour, particularly of the vestibular and oculomotor systems in both health and disease. It was originally developed by the German Space Agency (DLR) for use on the International Space Station (ISS) and was uploaded to the station as part of the joint European / Russian space programme in early 2004. The device was designed by Prof. Dr. Andrew H. Clarke (Vestibular Lab, Charité Berlin) together with the companies Chronos Vision and Mtronix in Berlin and integrated for space utilisation by the Munich-based company Kayser-Threde. In the first set of experiments, conducted by Prof. Clarke’s team in cooperation with the Moscow Institute for Biomedical Problems, the Eye Tracking Device was used for the measurement of Listing's plane – a coordinate framework, which is used to define the movement of the eyes in the head. The scientific goal was to determine how Listing’s plane is altered under various gravity conditions. In particular the influence of long-duration microgravity on board the ISS and of the subsequent return to Earth’s gravity was examined. The findings contribute to our understanding of neural plasticity in the vestibular and oculomotor systems.