Volvo Aims to Ease the Queasiness of Riding in Self-Driving Vehicles

Volvo Cars, the Swedish auto maker owned by China's Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, hopes a solution may lie in playing unobtrusive audio cues to passengers about a second before the vehicle makes a maneuver, such as a sharp turn or acceleration. Get weekly insights into the ways companies optimize data, technology and design to drive success with their customers and employees. These cues prompt passengers to adjust their posture and prepare their brains for a change in motion, decreasing the likelihood that they will feel sick, said Justyna Maculewicz, a user experience designer at Volvo who has a Ph.D. in media technology. The car maker worked with Stockholm-based audio company Pole Position Production AB and RISE, a research institute in Sweden, to compose audio cues reminiscent of car engine sounds, rather than the voice commands or industrial beeps usually associated with in-car warnings, Dr. Maculewicz said. "We are taking sounds which you learn over the years, that sound natural, and we are making them more attractive," she said.