Driving simulator study of the relationship between motion strategy preference and self-reported driving behavior

Faithful motion restitution in driving simulators normally focuses on track monitoring and maximizing the platform workspace by leaving aside the principal component—the driver. Therefore, in this work we investigated the role of the motion perception model on motion cueing algorithms from a user’s viewpoint. We focused on the driving behavior influence regarding motion perception in a driving simulator. Participants drove a driving simulator with two different configurations: (a) using the platform dynamic model and (b) using a supplementary motion perception model. Both strategies were compared and the participants’ data were classified according to the strategy they preferred. To this end, we developed a driving behavior questionnaire aiming at evaluating the self-reported driving behavior influence on participants’ motion cueing preferences. The results showed significant differences between the participants who chose different strategies and the scored driving behavior in the hostile and violations factors. In order to support these findings, we compared participants’ behaviors and actual motion driving simulator indicators such as speed, jerk, and lateral position. The analysis revealed that motion preferences arise from different reasons linked to the realism or smoothness in motion. Also, strong positive correlations were found between hostile and violation behaviors of the group who preferred the strategy with the supplementary motion perception model, and objective measures such as jerk and speed on different road segments. This indicates that motion perception in driving simulators may depend not only on the type of motion cueing strategy, but may also be influenced by users’ self-reported driving behaviors.