Experimental study on effects of sound on vibratory sensation of horizontal vibration

Humans are exposed to both vibration and noise when riding in vehicles such as cars and trains. Therefore, an evaluation of the vibratory sensation based on the combined effect of vibration and noise is needed. This study aims to determine the effects of sound on whole-body vibratory sensations of horizontal vibration. In this study, we conducted two experiments to research the influence of sound on vibratory sensation using an electrodynamic vibration test machine. The first experiment measured the point of subjective equality of the magnitudes of vibration and sound, and the second experiment measured the psychological effects of sound on vibratory sensations using the magnitude estimation method and the seven-grade rating scale method. This paper describes the results of investigating vibration dominance in a combined environment of vibration and sound and the effects of sound on the subjective magnitude of vibration and vibration discomfort.