The influence of vibration on seated human drowsiness

Amzar AZIZAN; Mohammad FARD; Michael F. AZARI; Bryndís BENEDIKTSDÓTTIR; Erna Sif ARNARDÓTTIR; Reza JAZAR; Setsuo MAEDA

doi:10.2486/indhealth.2015-0095

Original Articles

The influence of vibration on seated human drowsiness

Amzar AZIZAN , Mohammad FARD, Michael F. AZARI, Bryndís BENEDIKTSDÓTTIR, Erna Sif ARNARDÓTTIR, Reza JAZAR, Setsuo MAEDA

Author information

Amzar AZIZAN Corresponding author
School of Aerospace Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, RMIT University, Australia
Mohammad FARD
School of Aerospace Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, RMIT University, Australia
Michael F. AZARI
School of Health Sciences, RMIT University, Australia
Health Innovations Research Institute, RMIT University, Australia
Bryndís BENEDIKTSDÓTTIR
Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland, Iceland
Erna Sif ARNARDÓTTIR
Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland, Iceland
Department of Respiratory Medicine and Sleep, Landspitali—The National University Hospital of Iceland, Iceland
Reza JAZAR
School of Aerospace Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, RMIT University, Australia
Setsuo MAEDA
Human Response to Vibration Research Laboratory, Department of Applied Sociology, Faculty of Applied Sociology, Kinki University, Japan

Keywords: Human vibration, Ride comfort, Drowsiness, Sleepiness, Psychomotor-vigilance test (PVT), Karolinska sleepiness scale (KSS)

JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

2016 Volume 54 Issue 4 Pages 296-307

DOI https://doi.org/10.2486/indhealth.2015-0095

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Abstract

Although much is known about human body vibration discomfort, there is little research data on the effects of vibration on vehicle occupant drowsiness. A laboratory experimental setup has been developed. Vibration was applied to the volunteers sitting on the vehicle seat mounted on the vibration platform. Seated volunteers were exposed to a Gaussian random vibration, with 1–15 Hz frequency bandwidth at 0.2 ms^-2 r.m.s., for 20-minutes. Two drowsiness measurement methods were used, Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT) and Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS). Significant changes in PVT (p<0.05) and KSS (p<0.05) were detected in all eighteen volunteers. Furthermore, a moderate correlation (r>0.4) was observed between objective measurement (PVT) and subjective measurement (KSS). The results suggest that exposure to vibration even for 20-minutes can cause significant drowsiness impairing psychomotor performance. This finding has important implications for road safety.

Corresponding author

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