CORRELATES OF MILITARY TANK SIMULATOR SICKNESS

A military tank driving simulator is currently widely used as a traini ng aid for tank drivers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between possible correlates of simulator sickness and the occurrence of sickness and performance test results among simulat or drivers. The average number of motion sickness-like symptoms report ed after driving the simulator among subjects with a history of suscep tibility to motion sickness was 3.4, significantly higher than the ave rage of 1.6 reported among subjects who did not report previous suscep tibility to motion sickness (p < 0.05). Subjects driving the simulator while screen image quality was disturbed had a longer reaction time ( 42.0 s) than when driving the simulator without screen interferences ( 18.4 s, p = 0.001). Subjects driving the simulator for a short period had the same number of symptoms as did those driving for a longer peri od, but had better digit symbol test results. There was no statistical ly significant association between the development of sickness and tan k driving experience. Suggested countermeasures are expected to preven t simulator sickness among some of the simulator trainees and to make simulator training more effective.