Seasickness simulator - photo

[Altair]

Seasickness simulator of the Royal Canadian Navy's Medical research Unit, c. 1943.




Previously:

Deaf NASA volunteer for motion sickness tests - GIF
Skydiving simulator - GIF
Reduced gravity simulator - photo
British ejection seat simulator - GIF

[Moby Duck]

Did some seasickness trials at HMS St. Vincent around 1963/64 as a young Naval Artificer. They were testing the effectiveness of various preventative pills and patches. Twenty men/boys sat in a closed rubber life raft, in a swimming pool with a wave making machine, for about 4 hours on a Saturday morning. We were given various treatments and everyone vomited into the raft within fifteen minutes. None of the treatments worked and we sat there in a sea of vomit and urine for the rest of the 4 hours. The air inside the closed raft was putrid. As volunteers we were paid the princely sum of 1 Pound Sterling for our efforts. As our weekly wage was only 1 Pound 10 Shillings it was well worth it. I did it for all four Saturdays that the trials lasted, each time I swore, never again. If you ever end up in one of those life rafts, you are going to be violently sick, no matter how good a sailor you think you are.

[MeJasonT]

Im not convinced by this test, you can focus on a horizon. Most times we get Ik is below deck where the whole room is in unison with your head. The old boys used laps to create an artificial horizon, you could focus on the light on the wall as the lamp swung. Flourescent lights and incandeseants used in more modern ships took the magic light away. If you get sick now they tell you to go outside and pick a point on the horizen and focus on it. Two things that really got me were galley cooking smells and deisal or a mixture of both. Orange zest weirdly instantly cleared my head, just used to peel an orange, never ate it. The time i suffered the most was heading out of port, hitting the swell just outside the ports breakwater. Especially on rough transits, on one occasion we went out in a force 5. Moby, liferafts - you are spot on. The navy would get us to do the drills then when we were all inside would tow the liferaft around to simulate being in sea conditions. once one person is sick all 25 jioned in. Quells the anti sickness medication ended up being banned for causing mental and anger issues. Similar to malerone for links to gulf war syndrome. I have no idea what i was injected with over the years - ive probably had a vaccine for covid already back in the 90's.

[Moby Duck]

Trials were done, (by the Canadians I think), in the early 70’s, where they projected a stabilised laser line/artificial horizon on bulkheads in OP’s Rooms. I did hear that it worked but quick as a flash, nothing happened, and I never heard of it again. Best cure for me is to stand under a tree.

[MeJasonT]

Yep im with you. Trees have always been the best cure.