The iPhone group Apple has registered a technology for VR content in the USA, which can also help to make staying in autonomously driving cars comfortable.
Engineers and designers will have completely new design options when cars are driving autonomously in the future. The classic seating arrangement for driver and passengers is no longer necessary, the occupants in the vehicle could sit opposite one another or devote themselves to other things such as media use on reclining seats.
Several companies are already working on making the stay in the self-driving car so that you are not disturbed by the movements. Above all, it is about avoiding the risk of the associated motion sickness. Many people already know that today. Anyone who reads or uses their smartphone as a passenger in the car complains of feeling unwell after a while.
Hardware and software against motion sickness
The tech group Apple is also working on such a system, according to documents from the US Patent and Trademark Office. The patent application shows a virtual 4D environment that includes the human environment in the presentation of content.
This could presumably be used for moderation or presentations at the workplace, but also for driving in the car. The drawings show a seat that incorporates the movements of a moving car into its own kinematics. Anyone watching a film or playing a game, for example, could then not only see the change in direction of travel or a changing speed in the media content. The seat can react to the movements and thus increase the comfort for the vehicle occupants.
Not just for an Apple car
This patent application is not necessarily a sign that the iPhone company will soon be implementing the long-awaited plans for its own Apple car. Hardware and software could also be supplied to car manufacturers and other cooperation partners.
The reduction or prevention of travel sickness has already been tried in an analogous way. A few years ago, the French car manufacturer Citroën sold glasses that create a kind of artificial horizon in its own online shop. However, the product is no longer available.
Conclusion
A patent application in the USA shows that Apple is working on technologies for 4D virtual reality. The technology can also be used in autonomously driving cars. Here it can help reduce or prevent motion sickness in passengers who want to use media or relax.
