Improving Pedestrian-HAV Communication with eHMI

EC project AWARE2ALL primary goal is to tackle the new safety issues arising with the introduction of highly autonomous vehicles (HAV) in mixed traffic by developing inclusive and innovative safety systems as well as Human-Machine Interfaces (HMI), both internal and external (eHMIs).

These systems will consider the diverse range of road users, with a particular focus on vulnerable road users (VRUs), including individuals with reduced mobility (such as wheelchair users, those with crutches, and the visually impaired). A key part of the project is to create an eHMI that can dynamically interact with nearby pedestrians, e.g. providing acoustic warnings, in three use cases: parking, zebra-crossing, and pick-up.

The Acoustic System incorporates a decision-making module which receives the information from the Vehicle Detection System. Consequently, the acoustic system generates customized messages based on pedestrian and environmental context, sent by several speakers adjusting frequency, volume, and tone.   

Intuitive visual and auditory signals need to be designed to convey the vehicle’s intentions, to enhance pedestrians’ understanding and their reaction time. Eventually these systems support better decision-making and thus safety of VRUs. The effectiveness of the system will be validated by conducting usability tests with various pedestrians to measure satisfaction and collect feedback to refine the system.

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