Sander Ackermans
Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Noord Brabant, Netherlands
In this paper, we investigate the effect of an external human-machine interface (eHMI) and a conspicuous external vehicle appearance due to visible sensors on pedestrian interactions with automated vehicles (AVs). Recent research shows that AVs may need to explicitly communicate with the environment due to the absence of a driver. Furthermore, in interaction situations, an AV that looks different and conspicuous owing to an extensive sensor system may potentially lead to hesitation stemming from mistrust in automation. Thus, we evaluated in a virtual reality study how pedestrian attitude, the presence/absence of an eHMI, and a conspicuous sensor system affect their willingness to cross the road. Results recommend the use of an eHMI. A conspicuous appearance of automated-driving capability had no effect for the sample as a whole, although it led to more efficient crossing decisions for those with a more negative attitude towards AVs. Our findings contribute towards the effective design of future AV interfaces.
https://doi.org/10.1145/3313831.3376197
The ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (https://chi2020.acm.org/)