Laser surgery to improve eyesight is widespread, and technology developed for use in space is now commonly used on Earth to track a patient’s eyes and precisely guide a laser scalpel during surgery.
The human eye is stabilized, allowing us to see a fixed point clearly, even when we tilt or shake our head. This reflex requires the brain to constantly interpret information from the inner ear to maintain balance and stable vision. A key feature of this sensory system is its use of gravity as a reference.
The ESA (European Space Agency) Eye-Tracker Experiment studied the mechanisms involved in this process and how the brain’s frame of reference changes in space. The experiment used a specially designed headset equipped with an image processing chip that tracks the wearer’s gaze without interfering with their normal tasks. The results showed that the overall control of balance and eye movements is indeed affected by microgravity. These two systems work closely together under normal gravity conditions, but can become somewhat decoupled in microgravity.
The engineers realised that alongside its use on the space station, the device could also have applications on Earth, such as tracking eye position during laser surgery without interfering with the surgeon’s work. Currently, eye-tracking devices are used in many corrective laser procedures around the world.
