Effects of Driver’s Head Motion and Visual Information on Perception of Ride Comfort 2009-01-1223

This study investigated the mechanism by which a flat ride is perceived as low-frequency motion during highway driving. Vehicle motion was measured using a GPS receiver and an inertial navigation system. The driver’s head motion relative to the vehicle was measured with a motion capture system consisting of cameras attached to the vehicle. The results of an analysis showed that a flat ride could be quantified based on the amount of absolute head motion. Laboratory tests were also conducted to investigate the effects of motion in the visual field on the perception of ride comfort, and the results showed that perceptions of even the same motion varied depending on the visual conditions, such as the location of the hood, and such differences in motion perception affected the evaluation of a flat ride.