Fast reoptimization of human motor patterns in non-Earth gravity fields locally induced by a robotic exoskeleton

Abstract

Gravity is a ubiquitous component of our environment that we learnt to optimally integrate in movement control. Yet, altered gravity conditions arise in numerous applications from space exploration to rehabilitation, thereby pressing the sensorimotor system to adapt. Here, we used a robotic exoskeleton to test whether humans can quickly reoptimize their motor patterns in arbitrary gravity fields, ranging from 1g to −1g and passing through Mars- and Moon-like gravities. By comparing the motor patterns of actual arm movements with those predicted by an optimal control model, we show that our participants (N = 61) quickly and optimally adapted their motor patterns to each local gravity condition. These findings show that arbitrary gravity-like fields can be efficiently apprehended by humans, thus opening new perspectives in arm weight support training in manipulation tasks, whether it be for patients or astronauts.