Comparison of different methods for categorizing the individual susceptibility to motion sickness – A carsickness study

Abstract

In studies aimed at developing avoidance strategies to reduce motion sickness (kinetosis) in autonomous vehicles, failing to account for the wide variability in individual kinetosis susceptibility can lead to inaccuracies and disregard effective countermeasures. Three methods for assessing individual susceptibility to carsickness – two questionnaires focusing on kinetosis experiences and a kinetosis-provoking lab test – were compared with the development of kinetosis during real car driving tests. Questions about car-specific kinetosis-provoking situations (MS-C) exhibit stronger correlations with kinetosis in car experiments compared to the commonly used questions about kinetosis experiences across different types of transportation (MS-VD). While lab-based testing remains highly reliable, especially considering men's tendency to underestimate their carsickness susceptibility in questionnaires, MS-C provides a valuable compromise in terms of technical and time expenses. These findings can also be used to assist passengers of autonomous driving cars in accurately assessing their sensitivity and activating customized countermeasure functions.