Investigation of driving performance, vection, postural sway, and simulator sickness in a fixed-based driving simulator

This paper reports the results of a pilot study conducted to determine whether there is a relationship between simulator sickness and measures of driver inputs, vection, and postural sway, in a fixed base driving simulator. Seven males and four females performed a series of alternating left and right turns (20 each), with straigth-aways inbetween. The task was designed to promote experiences of circular and linear vection, and associated sway. It was hypothesized that greater driver inputs (i.e., steering wheel and braking activity; deviation from the centerline) would correlate: with reports of vection and measures of postural sway. Ten of the eleven subjects reported moderate sickness, which precluded any statistical comparisons between “sick” and “not sick” however, there was a significant tendency for persons who reported vection to also report sickness. There were no gender differences in reported incidence of vection or sickness, however, males tended to exhibit greater lateral velocity. The next phase of investigation will necessitate reducing the strength of the stimulus (i.e., require less turns) to increase variability of sickness scores amongst subjects and permit comparisons between “sick” and “not sick.” Measurement considerations include increasing the sensitivity of vection ratings, and examination of the timecourse for the development of postural sway.