Joint Attention in Driver-Pedestrian Interaction: from Theory to Practice

TL;DR

This paper reviews how joint attention theories can inform autonomous vehicle design to improve pedestrian-vehicle interactions in urban traffic, emphasizing communication and coordination strategies.

Contribution

It synthesizes theoretical and practical approaches to implementing joint attention in autonomous vehicles for safer urban interactions.

Findings

Joint attention is crucial for effective pedestrian-vehicle communication.

Practical methods for implementing joint attention in autonomous systems are discussed.

Theoretical foundations support improved interaction strategies.

Abstract

Today, one of the major challenges that autonomous vehicles are facing is the ability to drive in urban environments. Such a task requires communication between autonomous vehicles and other road users in order to resolve various traffic ambiguities. The interaction between road users is a form of negotiation in which the parties involved have to share their attention regarding a common objective or a goal (e.g. crossing an intersection), and coordinate their actions in order to accomplish it. In this literature review we aim to address the interaction problem between pedestrians and drivers (or vehicles) from joint attention point of view. More specifically, we will discuss the theoretical background behind joint attention, its application to traffic interaction and practical approaches to implementing joint attention for autonomous vehicles.