Expertise
Advanced signal processing
We have more than 10 years expertise in the Biomedical Signal Processing field. From the analogic to numerical conversion of signals, often using Labview and National Instruments data acquisition boards, to the numerical analysis of data using Matlab and specifically designed software solutions, we control all the key elements of the signal processing chain. We are experts in the development, validation and improvement of tailored solutions, accompanied by graphical user interfaces, for the monitoring of human performance and physiology in various, and often extreme, environments.
Microgravity research
The influence of microgravity on human performance and human physiology has been one of the key research area of our group. See the projects page for more details. Since more than 10 years we participated to several human physiology experiments performed in various space missions: from the Mir Space station to the International Space Station, during missions of the Space Shuttle as well as during parabolic flights. Doing research in space can lead to a better understanding of human physiology and help us develop a better health on earth. The main focus of this research was the adaptation of the cardiovascular and cardiopulmonary systems to microgravity as well as the influence of the stressful environment of space-flight on human performance.
Autonomic Nervous System physiology
To quote the editorial of a 2006 issue of Clinical Autonomic Research: "Autonomic neurology is emerging as a key nexus of cognitive neuroscience, behavioral neurology, and neuropsychiatry" (Goldstein et Silverman, 2006). Indeed, autonomic activation provides an index of the arousal state, including resource allocation, of an organism at any given moment. This activation is mapped through the thorough analysis of cardio-respiratory signals, which provide a non-invasive systemic measure that has been validated by a robust body of previous research.
We have extensive experience in advanced processing of cardio-respiratory signals, as well as the refined physiological interpretation of autonomic variations. These have been shown to provide an interpretative framework for performance decrements, during vigilance challenges or under stress, for a better understanding of sleep physiology, and for a high time-scale resolution of adaptation to different gradients of gravity.
Operational performance assessment, tailored to the mission
Research at VIPER is always focused on operational applications. Previous projects have taken us from the F16 environment of jet fighter pilots to performance predictors in military student pilots, over cardio-respiratory adaptation to microgravity in parabolic flights and the International Space Station, to sleep and circadian rhythm physiology in Antarctica.
Combining a thorough scientific approach with an in-depth knowledge of operational constraints (we are field scientists, and have experienced firsthand most of the conditions of our research), we are able to operationalize scientific or applied questions to provide a unique set of answers.