Exploring Assistance Methods for Communication between Pedestrians and Automated Vehicles: A Need-Driven Study in Japanese Depopulated Areas

The introduction of driving automation as a mobility service has been expected to shape new types of road communication between vulnerable road users and automated vehicles. Given that road users’ lack of knowledge about automated vehicles in depopulated rural areas, it is important to design conversative strategies leading effective pedestrian-automated vehicle communication. The current study investigates impacts of communication methods assisting pedestrian avoidance from an approaching automated driving golf cart from behind. Three communication methods (Baseline, text-based external human-machine interface, road marking) and two environments (narrow road, parking area) were simulated in virtual reality experiments. Results found that pedestrians found it useful and effective when the automated cart provided a text message via the external human-machine interface, with giving way to the automated cart. As the blue marking on the road indicated the driving route of the automated cart, the road marking also had a potential for leading pedestrians to move from the road. Empirical findings provide practical recommendations for the design of communication strategies leading pedestrian-automated vehicle interaction in depopulated areas.