Future Cars Learn to Prevent Motion Sickness

A team from the University of Michigan has developed groundbreaking technology that could curb motion sickness in passengers—whether they're riding in today’s vehicles or the autonomous cars of tomorrow. By subtly adjusting the car’s seat motion in real time, the system tricks the brain into syncing with the body’s movements, easing the disconnect that causes nausea. Early tests show it could reduce symptoms by up to 50%. Say hello to smoother rides and screen time without the queasy side effects!

“We call it PREACT because it predicts the motions of the vehicle and acts preemptively to counteract the effect of the vehicle’s motion on the passenger’s body,” said Shorya Awtar  , a U-M professor of mechanical engineering and director of the Precision Systems Design Laboratory. “We take real-time and historical data from on-vehicle sensors to help anticipate the vehicle’s impending motions and use that to alert passengers to what’s coming.”