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👂 The Vestibular System: How the Inner Ear Senses Balance

Explore how the semicircular canals and otolith organs of the inner ear detect head rotation and gravity, and how this hidden sense keeps your gaze steady and your body upright.

Neuroscience & Biophysics3DModerate60 FPS

The simulation renders a 3D model of the inner ear's vestibular labyrinth, showing endolymph flow deflecting the cupula inside the semicircular canals during rotation and otoconia crystals shifting across the utricle and saccule during tilt or linear acceleration.

🔬 What It Demonstrates

🎮 How to Use

Rotate or tilt the virtual head using the on-screen controls to see which semicircular canals and otolith organs activate in real time, and toggle the vestibulo-ocular reflex overlay to watch the corresponding compensatory eye movement.

💡 Did You Know?

The stereocilia bundles on vestibular hair cells can detect deflections smaller than the width of an atom, making them among the most mechanically sensitive structures in the entire human body.

⚙ Under the hood

Explore how the semicircular canals and otolith organs of the inner ear detect head rotation and gravity, and how this hidden sense keeps your gaze steady and your body upright.

vestibular systeminner earbalancesemicircular canalsotolith organsvestibulo-ocular reflexmotion sicknessbppv

3D · Three.js / WebGL renderer · 60 FPS target · runs fully client-side, no install