A virtual reality research for analyzing the safety and comfort of cyclists interacting with autonomous electric vehicles: Is an additional noise needed?
Y. Sun (TU Delft - Civil Engineering & Geosciences)
H. Farah – Graduation committee member (TU Delft - Traffic Systems Engineering)
Haneen Farah – Mentor (TU Delft - Traffic Systems Engineering)
Yan Feng – Graduation committee member (TU Delft - Traffic Systems Engineering)
Y. Feng – Mentor (TU Delft - Traffic Systems Engineering)
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Abstract
Electric vehicles (EVs) are required according to the EU legislation from 2014 to install Acoustic Vehicle Alerting Systems (AVAS) to convey information about the EVs through sound signals to other road users, ensuring their safety. Meanwhile,autonomous vehicles (AVs) are also recommended to be equipped with an External Human-Machine Interface (eHMI) system, enabling better interaction with other road users. . However, for the special group of autonomous electric vehicles (AEVs), considering that equipping both eHMI and AVAS, given their overlapping functionality in conveying information, might result in a waste of resources, it remains unclear whether it's feasible to use only eHMI for communication with road users as a cost-saving measure, thereby omitting AVAS or perhaps adding only a simple sound signal to replace AVAS. This study aims to explore whether autonomous electric vehicles need to add extra noise to provide more information to other vulnerable road users, such as cyclists and pedestrians. In this study, we will use Virtual Reality (VR) technology for simulation experiments. Utilizing VR, as opposed to real-world experiments, allows for precise control over the variables in each experiment, ensuring that experiments can be conducted under the same conditions multiple times, thus enhancing reliability. On the other hand, VR can ensure the safety of experiment participants while providing them with an immersive experience, especially in experiments related to traffic safety research.
In this experiment, we will utilize the Unreal Engine to create a simulated testing environment, focusing on observing participants' (acting as cyclists) reactions to a series of variables. These include different environmental noises, the warning distance of sound signals emitted by autonomous vehicles, and the autonomous vehicles themselves. The sound signal warning distance specifically refers to a mechanism where, when pedestrians or cyclists enter a predefined range of the vehicle, it automatically emits a warning signal. This signal is to alert the approaching individuals that the vehicle is in a ready state and may proceed to the next action, thereby enhancing safety interaction and awareness on the road.
The data collected from this experiment will be divided into two parts: first, the participants' reaction times, speed adjustments, and distances obtained from VR devices; second, their perceptions of the trust, perceived safety, and comfort of interactions with autonomous electric vehicles gathered through post-experiment surveys.
The results of this experiment will assist policymakers in refining relevant laws and regulations, as the existing legislation concerning electric vehicles and AVAS do not take autonomous vehicles into account. It will also provide theoretical support for car manufacturers in the design of autonomous electric vehicles.