It might seem unusual that car experts often discuss phones, but nowadays, phones and cars are closely connected. Apple has introduced a new phone feature that can make driving more convenient.
The company recently revealed new accessibility features for its iPhone and iPad, including one that may help reduce motion sickness.
The reason behind carsickness
Apple states that “motion sickness is often caused by a sensory conflict between what a person sees and what they feel.” This issue is more pronounced when someone looks at a stationary phone in a moving car.
Modern smartphones have accelerometers that detect motion, allowing the phone to know when it’s in a car.
Apple’s new feature, called “Vehicle Motion Cues,” displays animated dots along the screen’s edges to reflect the car’s movements. When the car accelerates, the dots move down; when it brakes, they move up. The dots also shift left or right during turns.
How moving dots might help
Watching moving dots provides your brain with a visual cue of the car’s actions. Instead of looking at a still phone screen, you’re viewing a screen with dots that mimic the car’s movements.
Apple claims that this coordinated motion can help sync what your eyes see with what your balance system feels, potentially reducing motion sickness.
This feature will be included in an operating system update “later this year.” The update will also add more voice controls for Apple CarPlay and a feature that visually alerts drivers to sirens and car horns.
Apple says the visual alerts are designed for “drivers or passengers who are deaf or hard of hearing.” However, Stellantis, the parent company of Dodge, Jeep, and Ram, includes a similar feature in its new vehicles. Some automotive journalists have found it helpful when the stereo is particularly loud.
