FUTURE JAGUAR AND LAND ROVER VEHICLES WILL HELP REDUCE MOTION SICKNESS

1 November 2018

Future Jaguar Land Rover vehicles will be able to tell if you're feeling unwell and adjust settings to combat motion sickness.

  • Pioneering Jaguar Land Rover motion sickness research has identified techniques to reduce effects by at least 60 per cent
  • Vehicle dynamics and cabin settings will automatically adapt to individuals’ needs and prevent sickness
  • A complex algorithm calculates individual ‘wellness scores’ for driver and passengers

Motion sickness affects over 70% of people. Spencer Salter, wellness technology researcher at Jaguar Land Rover, points out that previously "little has been known about the causes and how to mitigate them".

Now, through its industry‑leading motion sickness research, Jaguar Land Rover has created an algorithm that generates a ‘wellness score’ for each passenger. This can be used to automatically personalise a vehicle’s driving and cabin settings to reduce the effects of feeling car sick by up to 60%.

Jaguar Land Rover has already collected 15,000 miles of motion sickness data and tested the effects caused by performing a task while in transit, such as checking emails. This has enabled the creation of a baseline driving style for self‑driving vehicles to work towards, minimising the need for steering corrections and therefore the risk of motion sickness while passengers work or relax.

As we move towards an autonomous future where occupants will have more time to either work, read or relax on longer journeys, it's important we develop vehicles that can adapt to reduce the effects of motion sickness in a way that's tailored to each passenger.

Spencer Salter
Wellness Research Engineer, Jaguar Land Rover

Motion sickness is often caused when the eyes observe information that is different from what is sensed by the inner ear, skin or body forces – commonly when reading.

The ‘wellness score’ calculates how susceptible individual drivers and passengers are to feeling car sick, using biometric sensors that record physiological signals. Combining this with motion and dynamics data, the vehicle will reliably know when a passenger or driver is becoming motion sick – before they do.

This cutting‑edge research has created a solution that, with its solid scientific foundation, can make travelling enjoyable, regardless of your susceptibility to motion sickness. As a parent of young children, who are most susceptible to car sickness, I am particularly excited by the benefits this research can have in making long journeys comfortable and stress‑free for families.

Dr. Steve Iley
Chief Medical Officer, Jaguar Land Rover

Jaguar or Land Rover vehicles today are already designed to help combat feelings of nausea. The Jaguar E‑PACE, for example, has 26 different seat configurations for passengers to find a position that raises the infotainment screen relative to eye level as well as turn on the cooling seat function. Both factors have been proven to significantly reduce the likelihood of motion sickness. The E‑PACE’s Adaptive Dynamics also remove low frequency motion from the road, which can lead to nausea, by altering the ride settings every 10‑milliseconds to ensure passengers always experience high levels of comfort.

The first phase of the research completes this month. The findings are already being implemented into further projects across research ensuring Jaguar Land Rover can create the ultimate personalised cabin experience for its customers in future vehicles.

Further information

For more information visit www.media.jaguarlandrover.com or contact:

Imogen Pierce
Global Technology and Innovation Press Officer
T: +44 7469 039672
E:ipierce1@jaguarlandrover.com

About Jaguar Land Rover’s Motion Sickness Research

Spencer Salter has been an engineer at Jaguar Land Rover for over 30 years, this research is the basis of his PhD exploring motion sickness which combines years of simulation expertise and personal experience with nausea.

Spencer’s work represents the most sophisticated interrogation of motion sickness, using complex models to determine pre‑emptive measures within dynamic systems. The research allows Jaguar Land Rover to develop its extensive research into wellness focused technologies to enhance premium customer experiences aided by increasingly personalised solutions.

Satellite navigation systems which consider distance, speed and energy to suggest an optimum wellness route, are also included in the research.

Notes to Editors

About Jaguar Land Rover
Jaguar Land Rover is the UK’s largest automotive manufacturer, built around two iconic British car brands: Land Rover, the world’s leading manufacturer of premium all‑wheel‑drive vehicles; and Jaguar, one of the world’s premier luxury sports saloon and sports car marques.

We employ more than 44,000 people globally and support around 260,000 more through our retailer network, suppliers and local businesses. Manufacturing is centred in the UK, with additional plants in China, Brazil, Austria and Slovakia. 

At Jaguar Land Rover, we are driven by a desire to deliver class‑leading vehicles, which will provide experiences our customers will love, for life. Our products are in demand around the globe. In 2017 Jaguar Land Rover sold 621,109 vehicles in 130 countries, with more than 80 per cent of our vehicles being sold abroad. 

Our innovation is continuous: we will spend in the region of £4.5 billion this year on new product creation and capital expenditure.

From 2020 all new Jaguar Land Rover vehicles will have an electrified option, giving our customers even more choice. We will introduce a portfolio of electrified products across our model range, embracing fully electric, plug‑in hybrid and mild hybrid vehicles as well as continuing to offer ultra‑clean petrol and diesel engines.