Rethinking External Communication of Autonomous Vehicles: Is the Field Converging, Diverging, or Stalling?

TL;DR

This paper analyzes 620 studies and industry practices to understand whether autonomous vehicle external communication methods are converging, diverging, or stalling, revealing patterns of safety focus, divergence, and regulatory filtering.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive multi-dimensional analysis of research and industry trends, identifying key patterns and guiding future directions for external communication in autonomous vehicles.

Findings

Convergence on safety-first visual cues.

Divergence in necessity and implementation.

Regulatory filtering into minimal permitted signals.

Abstract

As autonomous vehicles enter public spaces, external human-machine interfaces are proposed to support communication with external road users. A decade of research has produced hundreds of studies and reviews, yet it remains unclear whether the field is converging on shared principles or diverging across approaches. We present a multi-dimensional analysis of 620 publications, complemented by industry deployments and regulatory documents, to track research evolution and identify convergence. The analysis reveals several field-level patterns. First, convergence on a safety-first core: simple visual cues that clarify intent. Second, sustained divergence in necessity and implementation. Third, a progressive filtering funnel: broad exploration in research and concepts narrows in deployment and is codified by regulation into a minimal set of permitted signals. These insights point to a shift in emphasis for future work, from producing new prototypes toward consolidating evidence, clarifying points of contention, and developing frameworks that can adapt across contexts.