Early research says vibrations through a vehicle seat can exacerbate fatigue in drivers, though more work is needed
Researchers from RMIT University say the physical vibrations of a vehicle seat could contribute to fatigue, with some drivers feeling the effects just 15 minutes after they get behind the wheel.
Associate Professor Mohammad Fard and Professor Stephen Robinson led a research team from across the university’s health, engineering and media faculties, to test 15 volunteers in a virtual simulator that replicates the experience of driving on a monotonous two-lane highway.
The simulator was set up on a platform that could be vibrated on different frequencies, with the volunteers tested twice – once with vibrations at low frequencies (4-7Hz) and once with no vibration.
While this took place, researchers monitored the volunteers’ heart rates for signs of fatigue – saying the heartbeat changes as the vibration-induced tiredness makes it harder to perform mental tasks.
“By looking at the volunteers’ heart rate variability (HRV), researchers were able to gain an objective measure of how drowsy they were feeling as the 60-minute test progressed,” an RMIT announcement says.
“Within 15 minutes of starting the vibrating test, volunteers were showing signs of drowsiness. Within 30 minutes, the drowsiness was significant, requiring substantial effort to maintain alertness and cognitive performance.”
This drowsiness continued to increase over the test, peaking at 60 minutes.
Fard says more work is needed to build on the findings, and to see how vibrations affected people across different demographics, with relation to age and other health problems.
“Our research also suggests that vibrations at some frequencies may have the opposite effect and help keep people awake,” he says.
“So we also want to examine a wider range of frequencies, to inform car designs that could potentially harness those ‘good vibrations’.”
Robinson says the effects of physical vibration on drivers are still not well understood.
“Our study shows steady vibrations at low frequencies – the kind we experience when driving cars and trucks – progressively induce sleepiness even among people who are well rested and healthy,” he says.
“From 15 minutes of getting in the car, drowsiness has already begun to take hold. In half an hour, it’s making a significant impact on your ability to stay concentrated and alert.
“To improve road safety, we hope that future car seat designs can build in features that disrupt this lulling effect and fight vibration-induced sleepiness.”
Check out an RMIT video on the findings below