ROBOPOL: Social Robotics Meets Vehicular Communications for Cooperative Automated Driving

TL;DR

This paper explores integrating social robots as moderators to improve safety and interaction between autonomous vehicles and pedestrians in mixed traffic environments.

Contribution

It introduces a proof-of-concept of a social robot advising pedestrians in crossing scenarios with cooperative automated vehicles.

Findings

Demonstrated initial integration of social robots in vehicle-pedestrian interactions

Outlined key enablers for designing robot policemen in traffic management

Provided a vision for social robotics in future intelligent transport systems

Abstract

On the way toward full autonomy, sharing roads between automated and autonomous vehicles in so-called mixed traffic is unavoidable. Moreover, even if all vehicles on the road were autonomous, pedestrians would still cross streets. We propose social robots as moderators between autonomous vehicles and vulnerable road users. This paper presents a first proof-of-concept integration of a social robot advising pedestrians in crossing scenarios involving a cooperative automated vehicle. We also discuss key enablers required for designing "robot policeman" in a generic use case of cooperative intersection management. Our work provides a vision of the role of social robotics in future Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems.