Communication Strategies for Effective Interaction With Pedestrians and Automated Service Vehicles in Japanese Parking Areas

Abstract

One of the challenges in introducing automated service vehicles (ASVs) to parking areas is guiding pedestrians to make quick and appropriate crossing decisions based on an understanding of what the ASV typically does. This study aims to find effective communication strategies for ASVs for pedestrian crossings in Japanese parking areas. Virtual Reality experiments were conducted with 40 participants facilitating vehicle behavior (Normal Deceleration, Early Deceleration, Early Stop) and text-based external human-machine interfaces (eHMIs; No eHMI, “After you,” “I’ll stop,” “In Automated Driving”) as tools of communication with two types of ASVs (bus and golf cart) in parking areas. The results indicated that vehicle behavior significantly influenced pedestrian crossing decisions, and pedestrians began to cross when the ASV decelerated early and stopped not too far from them (Early Deceleration). Self-reported measure analyses revealed that text messages containing the intent of the ASV's actions or instruction (After you, I’ll stop) with Early Deceleration would probably lead to pedestrians’ favorable attitudes toward automated buses. These findings contribute to communication designs based on implicit communication for pedestrian crossing decision-making in parking areas with a clear interpretation of ASV’s intentions.