Vehicle-synchronized rotational peripheral cues reduce motion sickness in in-car virtual reality

As standalone VR HMDs advance, opportunities for VR use during travel, referred to as in-car VR, have expanded. However, motion sickness triggered by sensory conflict between visual and vestibular inputs, remains a major barrier to its adoption. This study proposes vehicle-synchronized rotational peripheral (VSRP) cues to minimize sensory conflict between perceived and actual vehicle movement while preserving primary task performance. Fifteen participants experienced two conditions, control and VSRP, while performing a color detection task in a moving vehicle. Results showed that VSRP cues led to a 33% reduction in the total Simulator Sickness Questionnaire score without compromising task performance. Furthermore, because this method relies solely on the IMU embedded in the HMD, it eliminates the need for additional hardware and improves portability. These findings demonstrate that VSRP cues can extend the duration of in-car VR by reducing occupant discomfort and may be applied to diverse VR activities requiring sustained attention, such as reading or video watching.