Moving weightless objects. Grip force control during microgravity

Abstract

When we move grasped objects, our grip force precisely anticipates gravitational and inertial loads. We analysed the control of grip forces during very substantial load changes induced by parabolic flights. During these flight manoeuvres, the gravity varies between hypergravity associated with a doubling of normal terrestrial gravity and a 20-s period of microgravity. Accordingly, the contribution of the object's weight to the load changed from being twice the normal value to being absent. Two subjects continuously performed vertical and horizontal movements of an object equipped with grip force and acceleration sensors. Whereas, during vertical movements performed under normal and hypergravity, a load force maximum occurred at the lower turning point and a minimum at the upper turning point, the load force pattern was completely changed under microgravity. In particular, the upper turning point was also associated with a load force maximum. Analysis of the grip forces produced by the two subjects revealed that the grip forces underwent the same characteristic changes as the load forces. Thus, subjects were able to adjust grip forces in anticipation of arm movement-induced fluctuations in load force under different and novel load conditions. Adaptation to changing levels of gravity was also obvious when the vertical and horizontal movements were compared: grip forces depended heavily on movement direction during normal and hypergravity but not during microgravity. The predictive coupling of grip force and load force was observed even during transitions between gravity levels, indicating rapid adaptation to changing load conditions. To account for the striking preservation of the normal characteristics of grip force control, we suggest that a highly automatized, extremely flexible sensorimotor mechanism firmly implemented within the central nervous system can cope with even massive changes in the environmental conditions.