Il personale scientifico della base antartica australiana di Mawson ha iniziato a usare con successo la realtà virtuale per affrontare mesi di isolamento, in un progetto di ricerca che potrà anche essere usato in futuro dagli astronauti.
Le scene immersive sono di spiagge australiane, ambienti naturali e urbani in Europa e in Nord America. "Servono a riportarli alla realtà, a dar loro il senso di essere in uno spazio differente dal biancore e dal silenzio dell'Antartide", spiega Jeff Ayton, medico capo dell'Australian antarctic division. "È un ambiente isolato, confinato ed estremo – prosegue Ayton - dove il confinamento è tra i più lunghi al mondo. Nella stazione Mawson passano fino a nove mesi prima che si possa uscire, e il personale soffre in condizioni rischiose".
I ricercatori australiani stanno inoltre collaborando con il Dartmouth college del New Hampshire, negli Stati Uniti, per capire se questo sistema potrà essere usato anche nello spazio. L'astronauta, medico e docente dell'istituto statunitense, Jay C. Buckley, spiega che la realtà virtuale aiuta a essere immersi con il massimo realismo in differenti ambienti naturali. "Non vi sono molte persone che vivono in luoghi impegnativi come il Polo Sud – spiega Buckley - quindi le informazioni che ricaviamo sono di valore perché ci dicono come uno strumento come questo possa essere usato in questo genere di situazione".
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