Effects of regional airflow from a fan-integrated car seat on thermoregulatory responses and thermal comfort under a comparable resting skin-temperature environment

Hayato Takahashi･Kentarou Wada･Teruyuki Nagai (Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kyoto Institute of Technology)･Tetsuya Kitagawa (Fortech Co. Ltd.)･Yukiko Nishizaki･Naoyuki Yamashita (Kyoto Institute of Technology)

This study examined the effects of airflow from a fan-integrated car seat on body temperature and thermal comfort in an environment with temperature comparable to resting mean skin temperature. Fans were installed in the backrest and seat cushion. Results showed that body temperature remained unchanged regardless of airflow. However, whole-body thermal comfort improved most in the condition with airflow provided from both backrest and seat cushion, followed by similar moderate improvements from either location alone. These findings suggest that providing airflow from car seats improves thermal comfort without affecting body temperature, with dual-cushion airflow offering greater benefits.

Arousal State Assessment Using Blink Pattern Analysis Based on Camera Images in a Simulated Automated Driving Environment

Hiroki Takeuchi (University of Occupational and Environmental Health)･Mieko Ohsuga･Yoshiyuki Kamakura (Osaka Institute of Technology)

In automated driving levels 3, authority may be transferred to the driver in emergency situations, making it necessary to monitor the driver's attention and arousal states. Therefore, we are examining an arousal state assessment method that uses changes in the occurrence ratios of blink patterns estimated from camera images as one of the indices. In this presentation, we report the results of applying this method to arousal-decline experimental data obtained in a simulated automated driving environment.

Arousal Effects of Music and Scent Stimuli on Drivers in Simulated Autonomous Driving

Mieko Ohsuga (Osaka Institute of Technology)･Hiroki Takeuchi (University of Occupational and Environmental Health)･Yoshiyuki Kamakura (Osaka Institute of Technology)

In Level 3 automated driving, drivers are prone to reduced arousal because cognitive judgment and manual operation, which normally activate alertness, are absent. To address this, we explored a method to detect early signs of arousal decline and promote alertness without causing discomfort by presenting music and scent stimuli. In this presentation, we report the results of an exploratory study using a stationary driving simulator, in which multiple conditions were compared and arousal effects were evaluated from multiple perspectives.

Mitigating Motion Sickness in Automated Vehicles: Strategies for Passenger Comfort

Jan L. Souman･Susanne Louvenberg･Saarang Gaggar･Jelte E. Bos (TNO Integrated Vehicle Safety, Helmond, the Netherlands)

Carsickness is foreseen to be a major barrier to the adoption of automated vehicles, as passengers are more susceptible to motion sickness than drivers. We extended the ISO 2631-1 model to account for horizontal accelerations, enabling the prediction of both emesis (vomiting) and pre-emesis symptoms based on vehicle motion. This paper demonstrates how these insights can help reducing motion sickness, for instance by informing motion control and path planning. We also propose integrating vehicle motion-based prediction with in-vehicle detection and mitigation strategies, aiming to optimize passenger comfort and support the broader acceptance of automated driving systems.

Relationship between Eye Movement Characteristics and Electrodermal Activity Associated with Decreased Level of Arousal

Shinta Sano･Takeshi Kohama･Shogo Mineta (Kindai University)

This study aimed to verify whether slow eye movements (SEM) estimated from fixation eye movements could serve as an objective indicator of arousal. To this end, simultaneous measurements of fixation eye movements and skin conductance were conducted. The results confirmed that the SEM in fixation eye movements appeared near the point where long-term fluctuations in skin conductance exhibited a negative peak.

A Method for Estimating Changes in Drivers’ Sense of Safety and Confidence During On-Road Driving Using Physiological Data from Wearable Devices

Koki Yasuda･Mayu Kurozumi (Keio University)･Seishi Takagi･Takuya Izumiguchi･Kento Mera (Penstone)･Miwa Nakanishi (Keio University)

This study proposes and evaluates a method for estimating drivers' sense of safety and confidence levels, which changes in response to driving situations, using physiological data obtained from wearable devices. A real-world driving experiment was conducted with 10 participants in an urban area, during which continuous physiological data were collected from drivers alongside subjective ratings of comfort. Using these data, a predictive model was developed to estimate the drivers' sense of safety and confidence.