Effects of Multimodal Whole-Body Vibration Exposure in Automobiles on Occupants’ Tactile Perception

Abstract

As automated vehicles develop, occupants will shift from drivers to passengers. They will use touch interfaces, mobile devices, and other systems inside vehicles. In these situations, tactile perception becomes important. At the same time, occupants are exposed to whole-body vibration (WBV) generated by vehicle motion. Thus, the effects of vibration on ride comfort have been studied. While there are some reports on the effects of whole-body vibration on human perception, such as visual and acoustic perception, its influence on tactile perception remains insufficiently understood. Participants performed a pairwise comparison task of tactile roughness under different vibration conditions and visual display conditions using a driving simulator. Three vibration conditions (large, small, and none), two visual display conditions (single-screen and triple-screen), and three time points (0, 30, and 60 min) were examined. Psychological scale values were calculated using Thurstone’s method of paired comparisons, and time-course changes in perceptual distance relative to baseline were analyzed. The results indicated that vibration exposure did not reduce tactile discrimination as initially hypothesized. Instead, perceptual distance tended to increase under small vibration conditions, while large vibration caused a slight decrease. A repeated-measures ANOVA revealed a marginal tendency for the main effect of vibration (p = 0.067), whereas no significant effects of visual condition or exposure time were observed. As the number of participants in the experiment is only 10, we will continue the experiment with more participants to develop a guideline for designing the interior of the fully automated vehicle in the future.

Keywords: Whole-body Vibration, Driving Simulator, Tactile Perception, Fully Automated Vehicle, Interior Design

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1007853