Responsabile: Giulio Sandini
Ente Finanziatore: ASI 

Project Synopsis

This project is aimed at designing an experimental protocol and set-up for a microgravity experiment on the alfa space station. The specific objective is twofold: 

• To study the influence of long-term exposure to microgravity on the development of vestibular system
• To design an autonomous life-support system for rats

The rationale of the projects comes from the fact that only in space such a research can be performed (it is impossible to eliminate gravity for a long period on earth) and the potentially strong influence of gravity on perceptual development. Technologically the main difficulty arises from the need to maintain a population of rats in space for as many generations as possible. This will be accomplished through robotics technology. The project is done in collaboration with the "Istituto Superiore di Sanita'" in Rome.

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