Coventry University, UK.
Jaguar Landrover, UK.
Appl Ergon. 2019 Jul;78:54-61. doi: 10.1016/j.apergo.2019.02.001. Epub 2019 Feb 19.
Automated vehicles (AV's) offer greater flexibility in cabin design particularly in a future where no physical driving controls are required. One common concept for an automated vehicle is to have both forward and rearward facing seats. However, traveling backwards could lead to an increased likelihood of experiencing motion sickness due to the inability of occupants to anticipate the future motion trajectory. This study aimed to empirically evaluate the impact of seating orientation on the levels of motion sickness within an AV cabin. To this end, a vehicle was modified to replicate the common concept of automated vehicles with forward and rearward facing seats. Two routes were chosen to simulate motorway and urban driving. The participants were instructed to carry out typical office tasks whilst being driven in the vehicle which consisted of conducting a meeting, operating a personal device and taking notes. The participants conducted the test twice to experience both forward and rearward seating orientations in a randomised crossover design. Levels of sickness reported was relatively low with a significant increase in the mean level of sickness recorded when traveling rearwards. As expected, this increase was particularly pronounced under urban driving conditions. It is concluded that rearward travel in automated vehicles will compromise the passenger experience.
自动驾驶汽车 (AV) 在驾驶舱设计方面提供了更大的灵活性，尤其是在未来不需要物理驾驶控制的情况下。自动驾驶汽车的一个常见概念是同时配备面向前方和后方的座椅。然而，向后行驶可能会导致晕车的可能性增加，因为乘客无法预测未来的运动轨迹。本研究旨在通过实证评估驾驶舱内座椅朝向对晕车程度的影响。为此，对车辆进行了改装，以复制配备面向前方和后方座椅的自动驾驶汽车的常见概念。选择了两条路线来模拟高速公路和城市驾驶。参与者被指示在车辆中执行典型的办公任务，包括开会、操作个人设备和做笔记。参与者以随机交叉设计的方式两次进行测试，体验面向前方和面向后方的座椅朝向。报告的晕车程度相对较低，但向后行驶时记录的平均晕车程度显著增加。正如预期的那样，这种增加在城市驾驶条件下尤为明显。结论是，自动驾驶车辆向后行驶会影响乘客体验。
