Variable Roll-rate Perception in Driving Simulation

In driving simulation, simulator tilt is used to reproduce linear acceleration. In order to feel realistic, this tilt is performed at a rate below the tilt-rate detection threshold, which is usually assumed constant. However, it is known that many factors affect the threshold, like visual information, simulator motion in additional directions, or active vehicle control. Here we investigated the effect of these factors on rollrate detection threshold during simulated curve driving. Ten participants reported whether they detected roll in multiple trials on a driving simulator. Rollrate detection thresholds were measured under four conditions. In the first condition, three participants were moved passively through a curve with: (i) roll only in darkness; (ii) combined roll/sway in darkness; (iii) combined roll/sway and visual information. In the fourth condition participants actively drove through the curve. Results showed that roll-rate perception in vehicle simulation is affected by the presence of motion in additional directions. Moreover, an active control task seems to increase the detection threshold, i.e. impair motion sensitivity, but with large individual differences. We hypothesize that this is related to the level of immersion during the task.