Reducing the Effect of Motion Sickness by Oculo-Vestibular Equilibration and Suppression (REMOVES)

Motion sickness is of concern in the transport of troops, be it by air, by land, or by sea. Motion sickness affects the ability to function at the peak of performance, which is particularly important for troops immersed in theatre. Despite the potential difficulties that can be incited by motion sickness, armed forces are frequently subjected to situations that can bring on motion sickness. Driving under indirect-vision driving (IVD) conditions is particularly disposed to result in motion sickness. To date the only proven methods for reducing symptoms of motion sickness are pharmacological and thus, are of limited use to armed forces. Pharmaceuticals must be taken in advance of transport, a luxury of time our troops dont always have. Moreover, they typically have associated cognitive effects which last long after transportation is completed. Our promising on-demand, non-pharmacological method of mitigating motion sickness, will be of considerable aid to our troops driving under IVD conditions, enabling them to reach destinations and complete missions without the adverse and prolonged effects of either motion sickness or traditional treatments. We completed a fully functional prototype of the system during the Phase I effort and are poised to demonstrate its efficacy in laboratory and field tests.