Anticipatory vibrotactile cues reduce motion sickness in car passengers during stop-and-go driving

Approximately 2/3 of all people have suffered from carsickness at some point in their lives with symptoms including disorientation, headache, apathy, nausea, or even vomiting. The development and introduction of automated driving functions are expected to further increase the frequency of occurrence and the symptom severity of carsickness, in particular when the passenger’s eyes are no longer on the road during non-driving related activities. Although the symptoms associated with carsickness are unpleasant and may limit the acceptance of automated driving functions, effective and applicable countermeasures are still scarce. In the genesis of carsickness, the ability to anticipate upcoming vehicle movements may be a relevant factor. Previous studies examining the effects of anticipatory cues on carsickness, mostly using laboratory setups, revealed mixed results, some suggest a positive effect of anticipatory cues on carsickness, others do not. In the present study, we investigated the effect of anticipatory, vibrotactile stimuli on the development of motion sickness in a partially automated drive on a test track. In a repeated measures design, 37 participants experienced two 17-minute stop-and-go rides. During the ride, they watched a movie and were asked about their current motion sickness level every minute using the Fast Motion Sickness Scale (FMS). In the intervention condition, participants also received vibrotactile cues about upcoming braking and acceleration via a vibrotactile belt one second in advance of the event. The results indicate an alleviating effect of vibrotactile cues on motion sickness.