Driving comfort and motion sickness incidence in an active tilting vehicle

Engaging in non-driving related tasks while using self-driving vehicles will increase the risk of motion sickness symptoms. Therefore, future on-board technological solutions should mitigate motion sickness. This study examines comfort and motion sickness in an active tilting vehicle, which aligns the passenger to the inside of the curve, increasing motion compensation. Subjective and physiological data from 22 participants were collected. A reduction in lateral acceleration experienced by 29% was detected in slalom and traffic circles, but subjective evaluation suggests that the active tilt is unfamiliar to passengers. No significant subjective or objective improvements in motion sickness correlates were detected, which contradicts established hypotheses regarding the effectiveness of active counter-movements of body and head. However, there were indications that participants with a higher motion sickness susceptibility were significantly more sensitive to changes during the ride, which may suggest that certain countermeasure require longer adaptation periods. • Real-world study of comfort and motion sickness in an active tilting car. • Active tilting showed no reduction in motion sickness incidence. • Motion sick passengers are more sensitive to active tilting. • Unfamiliar side effects may outweigh active tilt’s potential benefits.