How do humans navigate in the virtual lunar environment?

Abstract

Exploring navigation strategies in lunar environment contributes to understanding the unique navigation mechanism of humans in extraterrestrial environments. However, it is unclear whether human navigation strategies in lunar environments are the same as those in common environments. In this study, a virtual lunar exploration navigation experiment was conducted. Participants were required to complete spatial learning, navigation, and destination-pointing tasks while their behavioral performance and scalp electroencephalogram (EEG) data were recorded. The navigation trials (88 trials from 62 participants) were divided into two groups – path retracing strategy (N = 60, navigating along the known routes) and path integration strategy (N = 28, inferring potential shortcuts) groups – and differences in navigation performance and brain workload between them were measured. Results indicated that trials using the path integration strategy were more efficient in terms of time cost and pointing error. Particularly, navigators using the path integration strategy were adaptive in their brain workload. Their EEG theta power spectral density (PSD) metrics differed for routes with different difficulties; this difference was not found in the path retracing group. This study offers insights into human navigation strategies and cognitive processes in virtual lunar scenes and contributes to future human adaptation to the lunar surface environment when conducting space missions.