Researchers patent device to prevent autonomous auto motion sickness

There are many people out there looking forward to the advent of the autonomous auto. These folks look forward to being driven, but those with motion sickness might worry about giving up the wheel. Researchers from the University of Michigan have patented a device that may be able to prevent motion sickness in an autonomous car.

The main cause of motion sickness in cars is a conflict between the vestibular and visual inputs when not watching the road in a moving vehicle. The device that the researchers have patented is able to provide light stimuli in the visual periphery of the passenger to mimic what the rider might see outside. The system promises to eliminate the conflict between vestibular and visual inputs.

The patent that the researchers received covers both wearable and vehicle-based systems. One of the researchers, called Michael Sivak, says that people have big goals for what they will do while riding in an autonomous vehicle. He says that without addressing the issue of motion sickness, these goals won't be met by some.

The team doesn't offer up much in the way of detail about exactly how the system they developed works. Presumably, the wearable version will be glasses that give the visual stimuli. It's not clear at all how the vehicle-based system would work.

It's also interesting to consider how exactly the system would be implemented into the vehicle, presumably it would be an option. The University of Michigan team notes that it is working with suppliers and automakers to commercialize the U-M Technology covered in the patent.

SOURCE: University of Michigan