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.