Wireless Monitoring of Changes in Crew Relations during Long-Duration Mission Simulation

Abstract

Group structure and cohesion along with their changes over time play an important role in the success of missions where crew members spend prolonged periods of time under conditions of isolation and confinement. Therefore, an objective system for unobtrusive monitoring of crew cohesion and possible individual stress reactions is of high interest. For this purpose, an experimental wireless group structure (WLGS) monitoring system integrated into a mobile psychophysiological system was developed. In the presented study the WLGS module was evaluated separately in six male subjects (27–38 years old) participating in a 520-day simulated mission to Mars. Two days per week, each crew member wore a small sensor that registered the presence and distance of the sensors either worn by the other subjects or strategically placed throughout the isolation facility. The registration between two sensors was on average 91.0% in accordance. A correspondence of 95.7% with the survey video on day 475 confirmed external reliability. An integrated score of the “crew relation time index” was calculated and analyzed over time. Correlation analyses of a sociometric questionnaire (r = .35-.55, p< .05) and an ethological group approach (r = .45-.66, p < 05) provided initial evidence of the method's validity as a measure of cohesion when taking behavioral and activity patterns into account (e.g. only including activity phases in the afternoon). This confirms our assumption that the registered amount of time spent together during free time is associated with the intensity of personal relationships.

Off-World Mental Health: Considerations for the Design of Well-being–Supportive Technologies for Deep Space Exploration

“…Due to the additional burden imposed by active input requirements, efforts have focused on developing passive monitoring tools for space. Passive monitoring methods include detecting signs of stress in speech [ 22 , 23 ] and nonverbal behavior [ 24 ], wearable devices to monitor sleep [ 25 , 26 ] and team cohesion [ 27 , 28 ], and techniques for the real-time sampling of stress biomarkers [ 29 ].…”

Offworld Mental Health: Considerations For The Design Of Well-Being Supportive Technologies For Deep Space Exploration

“…Due to the additional burden imposed by active input requirements, efforts have focused on developing passive monitoring tools for space. Passive monitoring methods include detecting signs of stress in speech 22,23 and non-verbal behavior 24 , wearable devices to monitor sleep 25,26 and team cohesion 27,28 , and techniques for real-time sampling of stress biomarkers 29 .…”

From the Individual to the Cultural Space Group

“…Crew relations also play important roles in the success of missions where crewmembers stay one year and beyond in isolation and confinement. Wireless monitoring of interactive behaviors correlated with individual questionnaires, and video analyses of collective activities showed that the amount of time spent together during free time is highly associated with the intensity of relationships [27]. From the Individual to the Cultural Space Group http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.72357…”