Autonomous Vehicle Route Planning for Motion Sickness Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Passengers in autonomous vehicles often experience motion sickness due to varying road conditions and driving styles, leading to discomfort and potential health issues during trips.

Innovation Solution

A system that determines motion sickness values for different portions of a route based on sway, surge, and heave accelerations, allowing for the selection of routes and driving styles that minimize passenger discomfort by combining these values to choose the most comfortable route and driving style for the journey.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the vehicle operates in a fully autonomous mode with standard routing, then the vehicle can efficiently transport passengers, but passengers may experience motion sickness and discomfort

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransport efficiencyVSAvoidmotion sickness
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system changes routing parameters by selecting alternative routes with fewer curves and elevation changes, and modifies driving style parameters by reducing lateral and longitudinal accelerations. This resolves the contradiction by adjusting route and driving parameters to minimize motion sickness while maintaining transport efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts the driving style based on real-time route characteristics and passenger comfort requirements. By continuously adapting acceleration profiles and steering inputs according to the selected route's geometric features, the system reduces motion sickness without sacrificing overall transport productivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the vehicle selects routes with fewer curves and elevation changes, then passenger comfort is improved, but the route may be longer or take more time

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepassenger discomfortVSAvoidtrip duration
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system changes the routing parameters by optimizing the balance between route geometry (curves, elevation) and trip duration. It selects routes that minimize discomfort-causing features while accepting reasonable increases in travel time, thus resolving the contradiction between comfort and time efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Loss of time

If the vehicle uses aggressive driving styles to maintain schedule, then travel time is reduced, but motion sickness symptoms worsen

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetravel timeVSAvoidmotion sickness symptoms
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system changes driving style parameters by reducing lateral accelerations during turns, minimizing longitudinal accelerations and decelerations, and smoothing steering inputs. These parameter adjustments reduce motion sickness symptoms while maintaining reasonable travel times through optimized routing and driving behavior.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts driving aggressiveness based on route characteristics and comfort requirements. By continuously adapting acceleration and steering profiles to match the selected route's geometric features, the system resolves the contradiction between maintaining schedules and reducing motion sickness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3816583B1Method and system for determining and dynamically updating a route and driving style for passenger comfort
Publication Date: 2024.04.10 WAYMO LLC
  • EP3816583B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3816583B1 patent drawingFigure 2A
  • EP3816583B1 patent drawingFigure 2B~2C

AI summary

The disclosure provides for a method for determining a route for passenger comfort and operating a vehicle according to the determined route. To start, a set of routes may be determined. Each route includes one or more portions. For each route of the set of routes, a total motion sickness value is determined. The total motion sickness value for a route reflects a likelihood that a user will experience motion sickness while in a vehicle along the route. A route may then be selected from the set of routes based on the total motion sickness value of each route of the set of routes, and the vehicle may be maneuvered according to the selected route.