Validation of a moving base driving simulator for motion sickness research

Area of Science:

• Human-Computer Interaction
• Automotive Engineering
• Human Factors Psychology

Background:

• Vehicle automation advancements may increase motion sickness (MS) incidence.
• Assessing MS in controlled environments like driving simulators is ideal but requires validation.
• Few studies confirm the suitability of driving simulators for MS research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate a moving-base driving simulator for motion sickness research.
• To compare MS symptoms and time course between real-road driving and a simulator.
• To assess the relative validity of simulator findings for real-world MS.

Main Methods:

• A within-subjects design compared MS in a real car versus a driving simulator.
• 25 participants experienced alternating driving sections (slaloming, stop-and-go) with varying driving styles.
• Participants performed eyes-off-road tasks (Sudoku) and reported Misery Scale (MISC) and Motion Sickness Assessment Questionnaire (MSAQ) scores.

Main Results:

• MS severity was greater in the car than in the simulator.
• Significant correlations were found between car and simulator MS for 3 of 4 MSAQ symptom categories (r=0.48-0.73, p<0.02).
• MS onset times and fluctuations due to driving style showed similar patterns across both scenarios.

Conclusions:

• The driving simulator demonstrated relative validity for MS research.
• Reduced MS severity in the simulator is attributed to motion cueing algorithm downscaling.
• Simulator findings may generalize to real vehicles for eyes-off-road conditions with a conversion factor.