Following Jaguar Land Rover’s (JLR’s) detailing of a new system to help alleviate motion sickness in vehicles, French company Citroën has announced its own undeniably unique solution: SEETROËN—eyeglasses with no glass, but frames filled with a “blue liquid," a design said to effectively trick the brain into believing the eyes are focused outward.

SEETROËN is an adaptation of patented and paramedically tested technology originally conceived to help avoid seasickness, developed by Boarding Ring, a startup company based in Var, South of France. 

Motion sickness affects millions worldwide—with the problem likely to dramatically increase with the arrival of autonomous vehicles in which occupants may be more inclined to not be looking out at the surroundings, instead looking down to read or work, or use tablets and other touchscreen devices.

Citroën stated that the coloured liquid “recreates the horizon line to resolve conflict between the senses” when traveling. The glasses without any glass are suitable for adults and children aged more than 10 years and comprise four rings, two in front of the eyes and two at each side: along the right-left frontal axis and front-back sagittal axis, respectively.

As the liquid simulates the horizon it “resolves the conflict between the senses that causes sickness,” the company said. The glasses can be used not just in passenger vehicles but any mode of transport, the liquid moving in response to vehicle acceleration in both axes.

Boarding Ring explains that the eyeglass design creates an artificial horizon in the peripheral field of view without disturbing central vision. “The eye then has access to the reality of the moves, the sensorial conflict instantly disappears and motion sickness fades in a few minutes.” 

To give the frames an individual and unusual appearance, a Paris fashion studio called 5-5 came up with what Citroen terms a simple and ergonomic style. 

Immediate effect
The routine for SEETROËN’s use would begin as soon as a vehicle occupant felt any hint of nausea. The glasses then are worn for up to 12 minutes and the user needs to focus on an immobile object such as a book; this procedure would allow the user’s mind to resynchronize with the movement perceived by the inner ear, explained Citroën.

At the end of the specified time, the glasses no longer need to be worn. A child’s age, meanwhile, is important to the device’s effectiveness because the inner ear needs to have completed growth. The glasses also may be shared by a vehicle’s occupants and have been designed not to interfere with prescription-lensed conventional eyeglasses.

When autonomous vehicles reach their ultimate SAE Level 5 development, they will transform the way occupants sit, relax or work in the vehicle. Eventually, with no discrete driving position and no steering wheel, for example, front-seat passengers may be seated with their backs to the direction of travel. Some OEMs are even considering sleeping configurations for passengers.