While autonomous vehicles (AVs) are designed to improve transportation safety, reduce GHG emission, and increase transportation accessibility, similar to other intelligent technologies, the fruit cannot meet with much success in the market without an appropriate level of human trust, which might lead to refusing to adopt it, or using it in a wrong way. Therefore, except for improving safety of the autonomous technology itself, interactions between AV and human around it, such as pedestrians, are also paramount, especially effective communication, which could improve trust, and thus enable people to respond and act towards it accurately. This paper conducted a preliminary online study for a proof of concept that communication styles (informative, advising, and commanding) and communication strategies (single communication, adaptive communication) will affect pedestrian crossing decision process. The results demonstrated that advising style improves trust on AVs when a Cross decision is expected, while both commanding and advising styles improve trust on AVs when a Not Cross decision is expected. In addition, Adaptive communication strategy improves trust significantly when a Cross decision is expected. This study helps understanding the communication between AV and pedestrians and is instrumental in developing more advanced AV communication mechanisms.


Advisory and Adaptive Communication Improves Trust in Autonomous Vehicle and Pedestrian Interaction

Division / Sponsors: 
Design Engineering Division and Computers & Information In Engineering Division


Paper Proceedings: https://asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/IDETC-CIE/IDETC-CIE2020/volume/83907

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