Researchers in South Korea have developed a virtual reality (VR) technology that converts physical sensations experienced during vehicle acceleration and turns into visual effects, aiming to reduce motion sickness and enhance immersion.
On May 18, the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) announced that a research team led by Professor Kim Seung-jun from the AI Convergence Department has created 'Force Mapping' technology, which transforms the actual movements of vehicles into visual and spatial changes in a VR environment. The findings were presented at the prestigious ACM CHI 2026 conference in April, focusing on human-computer interaction.
Force Mapping utilizes an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) device and GPS module to detect real-time vehicle movements, including acceleration, deceleration, rotation, and road vibrations. These movements are then represented in the VR environment through effects such as falling objects, spatial shaking, waves, and ripples.
Previous VR research for vehicles primarily focused on aligning the vehicle's travel path with virtual scenes to mitigate motion sickness. However, this approach failed to bridge the gap between the physical sensations of acceleration and rotation felt by the body and the virtual space displayed on the screen, resulting in a passive content experience.
The research team conducted comparative experiments between the traditional method of simply reflecting vehicle movements on the screen and the Force Mapping approach. The results showed that the Force Mapping condition significantly improved immersion and situational awareness while statistically reducing motion sickness. Notably, emphasizing directionality and intensity rather than merely replicating physical forces led to a greater sense of alignment with bodily sensations. The effects of ground tilt and spatial shaking were particularly pronounced in enhancing immersion during acceleration and deceleration scenarios.
This research highlights the potential for VR technology in vehicles to go beyond merely alleviating motion sickness, suggesting that it could transform travel time into an opportunity for gaming, entertainment, education, and remote collaboration through various extended reality (XR) content experiences. As the era of autonomous driving becomes more tangible, the commercial value of this technology is expected to grow significantly.
Professor Kim Seung-jun stated, "We plan to further develop sophisticated and diverse environmental feedback technologies to expand vehicle movement itself into an immersive interface, considering future autonomous driving environments."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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