Effect of eHMI on pedestrian road crossing behavior in shared space with Automated Vehicles-A Virtual Reality study

TL;DR

This VR study examines how external human-machine interfaces (eHMIs) influence pedestrian crossing behavior in shared spaces with autonomous vehicles, finding that eHMIs affect gaze but not crossing decisions, and are positively received by users.

Contribution

The paper introduces a VR-based experimental approach to evaluate the impact of different eHMI designs on pedestrian-AV interactions in shared urban spaces.

Findings

eHMI influences pedestrian gaze behavior

No significant effect of eHMI on crossing decisions

Participants report high trust and perceived safety

Abstract

A shared space area is a low-speed urban area in which pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles share the road, often relying on informal interaction rules and greatly expanding freedom of movement for pedestrians and cyclists. While shared space has the potential to improve pedestrian priority in urban areas, it presents unique challenges for pedestrian-AV interaction due to the absence of a clear right of way. The current study applied Virtual Reality (VR) experiments to investigate pedestrian-AV interaction in a shared space, with a particular focus on the impact of external human-machine interfaces (eHMIs) on pedestrian crossing behavior. Fifty-three participants took part in the VR experiment and three eHMI conditions were investigated: no eHMI, eHMI with a pedestrian sign on the windshield, and eHMI with a projected zebra crossing on the road. Data collected via VR and questionnaires were used for objective and subjective measures to understand pedestrian-AV interaction. The study revealed that the presence of eHMI had an impact on participants' gazing behavior but not on their crossing decisions. Additionally, participants had a positive user experience with the current VR setting and expressed a high level of trust and perceived safety during their interaction with the AV. These findings highlight the potential of utilizing VR to explore and understand pedestrian-AV interactions.