User interface considerations to prevent self-driving carsickness

Self-driving cars have the potential to bring significant benefits to drivers and society at large. However, all envisaged scenarios are predicted to increase the risk of motion sickness. This will negatively affect user acceptance and uptake and hence negate the benefits of this technology. Here we discuss the impact of the user interface design in particular, focusing on display size, position, and content and the relationship with the degree of sensory conflict and ability to anticipate the future motion trajectory of the vehicle, two key determinants of motion sickness in general. Following initial design recommendations, we provide a research agenda to accelerate our understanding of self-driving cars in the context of the scenarios currently proposed. We conclude that basic perceptual mechanisms need to be considered in the design process whereby self-driving cars cannot simply be thought of as living rooms, offices, or entertainment venues on wheels

Equally moved and not really sick from viewing 2D and 3D motion stimuli on a TV screen

Objective : Visually induced motion sickness (VIMS) and increased postural sway are two adverse side effects that may occur when viewing motion stimuli. However, whether these effects are elevated to a greater extent when viewing stereoscopic 3D motion stimuli, compared to 2D stimuli on a TV screen, has not been investigated under controlled circumstances. Therefore this study aimed at investigating VIMS and postural sway before, during, and directly after viewing 2D and 3D motion stimuli, on a commonly available TV screen. Method : 16 Participants were exposed to an aviation documentary shown in 2D and in 3D on separate occasions. Before, during, and after exposure, VIMS and postural sway were measured. VIMS was quantified by a rating scale giving a single number, and by a multi-symptom questionnaire that assessed multiple VIMS symptoms separately. Sway path length, standard deviations and short-range and long-range scaling components of the center of pressure were calculated as measures of postural sway. Results : VIMS symptom severity, as obtained with the single rating scale, did not show a significant increase to either 2D or 3D exposure. The multi-symptom questionnaire did reveal significant increases in VIMS symptom severity to both 2D and 3D exposure. However, VIMS was not significantly more increased in case of 3D exposure compared to 2D exposure. All postural sway measures (sway path length, standard deviation in mediolateral and anteroposterior direction, as well as the short-range scaling components) increased significantly as a result of exposure. None of the postural sway measures was differentially affected to 3D as compared to 2D exposure. Conclusion : Viewing 3D motion stimuli did not cause more serious VIMS symptoms, compared to viewing motion stimuli in 2D. We attribute this lack of difference to the fact that the 3D effects in this documentary were optimized for viewing in a cinema, the projection on the TV-screen thus causing quarantining of the visual input. The increase in postural sway, irrespective of image type, may reflect exploratory behavior, allowing the participant to gain more information about self-orientation with respect to the virtual environment

Quickscan potentiële natuurwaarden in bestaande Nederlandse offshorewindparken

In het kader van het Nationaal Waterplan worden mogelijkheden verkend om offshorewindparken open te stellen voor doorvaart en medegebruik. In dit rapport wordt op basis van literatuuronderzoek een overzicht gegeven van (potentiële) natuurwaarden voor drie bestaande windparken, OWEZ (Offshore Windpark Egmond aan Zee), PAWP (Prinses Amalia Windpark) en Luchterduinen. Het gaat hierbij om biogene riffen (bestaand of potentieel), hardsubstraatgemeenschappen (bestaand of potentieel), vissoorten (rodelijstsoorten), zeezoogdieren en vogels en overige beleidsrelevante soorten (vleermuizen). Vervolgens wordt een beperkt aantal potentiële activiteiten beschreven (handlijnvisserij, visserij met korven, oesterkweek met manden, staand want, mosselteelt) en wordt verkend welke mogelijke invloed deze activiteiten hebben op de (potentiële) natuurwaarden, waarbij de nadruk ligt op beleidsrelevante soorten in het kader van Natura 2000 (Habitatrichtlijn) en de Kaderrichtlijn Mariene Strategie (KRM)