ZF say they are working with neuroscientists from Germany’s Saarland region to put the human at the centre of its technology and avoid motion sickness, which can typically induce dizziness, headaches, and nausea on long journeys.
“What does it mean, human-centred, what does it mean for ZF?” said ZF human-centred development project head Florian Dauth at the supplier’s recent Technology Day in the Eastern Germany city of Dresden. “We can’t only deal with the vehicle itself or the components. We need to integrate the human and need to understand what is motion sickness or discomfort. With neural scientists we are gathering a lot of data and to make future function development in terms of AI. Our research said around 60% of passengers are feeling motion sick or have early symptoms. The issue will become more relevant for the whole automotive industry”.
“Symptoms are pallor, cold sweating and nausea. ZF as a technology company takes this issue seriously—it is a sensory mismatch and conflict. We want to make our products and functions ready by using information within our algorithms. We use a dynamic driving map so the vehicle stays within boundaries, like manoeuvre or trajectory control.
The scientific basis for the concept is derived by test candidate studies conducted jointly by the Systems Neuroscience & Neurotechnology Unit (SNNU) at Saarland University and HTW Saar. In the studies, physiological reactions of test candidates were examined in a variety of driving situations.
“Our pioneering research incorporates the fields of neuro-technology, psycho-physiology, artificial intelligence and driving dynamics, The respective skill sets of the partners complement one another in the context of this collaborative project. The scientific results obtained to date have been very well received by the international specialist community.” added SNNU director, Daniel Strauss.
