Towards Safe Encounters between Pedestrians and Autonomous Driverless Vehicles: Comparing Adults and Children's Perceptions of External Human Machine Interface Design Features

Abstract

Recent developments in autonomous vehicle technologies have raised questions about how to achieve efficient communication between pedestrians and autonomous vehicles. External Human Machine Interfaces (eHMI) have been proposed as one mechanism for making pedestrians aware of the intentions of driverless vehicles. Children are especially vulnerable in traffic, yet few studies have addressed how to accommodate young pedestrians. We therefore conducted a study soliciting the reactions of 10 children (7-15 years old) and 10 adults as a control (20-30 years old) on eHMI design concepts proposed in the literature. In the first phase of the experiment participants were shown different eHMI concepts though a set of static and animated images, while the second phase subjected the participants to an immerse virtual reality experience of three different eHMIs. The results indicate that both children and adults preferred text-based interfaces. The results also suggest that children are more accepting of eHMIs than adults.