Can a few black dots say goodbye to motion sickness?

Motion sickness, medically known as "motion sickness", is a common problem for many people when riding in a car, boat or plane. For "mobile phone addicts", staring at the screen in a car, boat or plane will make the motion sickness worse. Is it destined to let your beloved mobile phone "take a back seat" during the ride? Don't worry, a "black technology" function called "vehicle motion prompt" may help you say goodbye to motion sickness.

What does the vehicle motion prompt function prompt?

At the 2024 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 2024) in early June this year, Apple announced the addition of a new "Vehicle Motion Prompt" feature in iOS 18. This feature aims to improve the riding experience by reducing the user's motion sickness when using a mobile phone in a moving vehicle.

Introduction to the functions in the beta system

Image source: Apple

According to reports, this function mainly uses the high-precision acceleration sensor built into the device to enable the system to accurately identify the direction of vehicle acceleration and display small dots on the screen that match the vehicle's inertia. This technology helps reduce motion sickness symptoms by reducing the sensory conflict between what the user sees and what they actually feel. Specifically, when the user is looking at the phone in a moving vehicle, the small dots on the screen will try to match the motion state judged by the user's current vestibular system, thereby telling the visual system the vehicle's motion state, thereby reducing information asymmetry and minimizing motion sickness symptoms.

Image source: APPLE

It may take time to verify the effectiveness of this function, but the "vestibular system" mentioned above is indeed an interesting part of the human body.

The Vestibular System—The Body’s Built-in Gyroscope

The human body maintains normal spatial position through vision, proprioception and the vestibular system, also known as the "balance triad", of which the vestibular system is the most important. The vestibular system is located in the inner ear and is responsible for the balance movement of the head, just like our body's built-in "gyroscope". When we walk, run, and turn around, the vestibular system constantly sends information about the body's position and movement to the brain. This information is essential for our balance, posture control, and spatial positioning. When in a moving environment, there will be bumps, swaying, rotations, or accelerations. The vestibular system perceives the movement, but the visual system shows a stationary car or cabin. This inconsistency may cause motion sickness, airsickness, or seasickness.

If passengers read books or look at their phones in cars, planes or ships, their eyes focus on a close, static object for a long time, and the illusion of the difference between movement and stillness in the brain is magnified, further aggravating the symptoms of motion sickness. In addition, staring at a static object (such as a book or a mobile phone screen) for a long time will keep the focal length of the eyes unchanged, while the vibration and movement of vehicles and other means of transportation will cause the focal length between the eyes and the brain to constantly change, aggravating visual fatigue and increasing the risk of motion sickness.

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What to do if you feel dizzy? Here are some more cost-effective solutions

Symptoms of motion sickness vary from person to person and may be related to a variety of factors, such as individual nervous system sensitivity, environmental factors, and psychological state. Survey data on families with motion sickness show that patients appear in each generation of the family, with roughly equal numbers of men and women. When only one parent is sick, the risk of the offspring being sick is 50%, and when both parents are sick, the offspring are 100% likely to be sick, and the probability of onset is unrelated to gender. If there is someone in the family who suffers from motion sickness, other family members may also be more likely to suffer from this condition.

During the summer vacation, when travel is booming, motion sickness may make the originally pleasant journey less smooth. Here are some simple and effective tips to help you easily deal with motion sickness symptoms and make the journey more enjoyable.

1. Choose a suitable seat: Choose a front seat in the vehicle and keep your sight in the direction of movement, which can reduce the impact of vehicle shaking on the body to a certain extent. Choose a seat near the window, open the window for ventilation, and let fresh air circulate, which can help relieve motion sickness.

2. Distraction: Distract yourself from motion sickness by listening to music, talking to someone, or doing some relaxing activities.

3. Keep your head stable: Keeping your eyes looking forward can help the brain better process motion signals. At the same time, avoid turning your head frequently and try to keep your head stable.

4. Adjust your physical condition: Wear loose and comfortable clothes, avoid tight clothes that increase discomfort, avoid eating too much or too little, and keep your blood sugar stable. Get enough sleep the night before your trip to give your body and brain a full rest and reduce the possibility of motion sickness.

5. Use motion sickness medication: Taking motion sickness medication, such as antihistamines or anticholinergics, before riding can relieve motion sickness symptoms.

From this perspective, you don’t have to stare at the “little black dot” on your phone. It may be more cost-effective to relax your eyes occasionally and look at the scenery outside the window more often to allow the visual system and vestibular system to better coordinate!

Author: Li Nannan, Second Level Researcher of Hunan Association for Science and Technology, Director of Hunan Science Writers Association

Reviewer: Tang Qin, Deputy Secretary-General of the Expert Committee of the Chinese Medical Association, Senior Researcher, National Health Science Expert

Produced by: Science Popularization China

Produced by: China Science and Technology Press Co., Ltd., China Science and Technology Publishing House (Beijing) Digital Media Co., Ltd.

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