"Ship Motion Simulator" can generate three primary modes of oscillations (heaving, pitching and rolling) and their combinations.
To understand the mechanisms of motion sickness quantitatively, human physiological and psychological responses during whole-body exposure to low-frequency oscillations has been measured and analysed. Items of physiological measurements are EEG (electroencephalogram), ECG (electrocardiogram), EGG (electrogastrogram), respiration, sweating, facial expression and face surface temperature. Stabilometry, blood pressure, pulse and body temperature are also measured before and after exposure, and blood and urine tests are conducted. Psychological changes are obtained using Semantic Differential Method, and motion sickness symptoms are collected through interviews conducted during the exposure. A questionnaire survey about the "Life-Style", "Character and Behaviour-Pattern Scale", "Mental Stress" and "Susceptibility to Seasickness" of each subject is also conducted to obtain these latent factors. From the results of comprehensive analyses, some of the physiological and biochemical responses are found to be efficient indices of motion sickness. Psychological effects on motion sickness and ride-quality are analysed using hierarchical fuzzy integral model, which gives good estimates of the subject's psychological changes.
This headset with EEG and CCD camera is now under development to obtain pictures of the subject's full face and head shape. The Dipole Tracing Method will be useful to understand the activities of neurones inside the cerebral cortex.