Pedestrian Trust in Automated Vehicles: Role of Traffic Signal and AV Driving Behavior

• Published in: Frontiers in Robotics and AI Vol. 6; p. 117
• Main Authors: Jayaraman, Suresh, Creech, Chandler, Dawn, Tilbury, Yang, X. Jessie, Pradhan, Anuj, Tsui, Katherine, Robert, Lionel + \\"Jr\\"
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland Frontiers Media SA 28.11.2019; Frontiers Media S.A
• Subjects: advance driving systems; advance driving technology; Artificial Intelligence; Artificial Intelligence for Human-Robot Interaction; automated driving systems; automated vehicle interaction; automated vehicles; automotive automation; automotive technology; autonomous systems; autonomous vehicles; crosswalks; driving; driving systems; Electronic computers. Computer science; human automated vehicle interaction; human computer interaction; human robot interaction; human-automation interaction; implicit communication; Information and Library Science; interaction with autonomous systems; Internet of Things; Mechanical engineering and machinery; Pedestrian automated vehicle interaction; Pedestrian Trust; Pedestrians; QA75.5-76.95; Robotics and AI; SAE Level 4; SAE Level 5; self driving cars; social computing; Social Sciences; societal computing; TJ1-1570; traffic lights; trust in automation; vehicles; virtual reality; implicit communication; automated vehicles; virtual reality; trust in automation; human–automation interaction
• ISSN: 2296-9144; 2296-9144
• DOI: 10.3389/frobt.2019.00117

Pedestrians' acceptance of automated vehicles (AVs) depends on their trust in the AVs. We developed a model of pedestrians' trust in AVs based on AV driving behavior and traffic signal presence. To empirically verify this model, we conducted a human-subject study with 30 participants in a virtual reality environment. The study manipulated two factors: AV driving behavior (defensive, normal, and aggressive) and the crosswalk type (signalized and unsignalized crossing). Results indicate that pedestrians' trust in AVs was influenced by AV driving behavior as well as the presence of a signal light. In addition, the impact of the AV's driving behavior on trust in the AV depended on the presence of a signal light. There were also strong correlations between trust in AVs and certain observable trusting behaviors such as pedestrian gaze at certain areas/objects, pedestrian distance to collision, and pedestrian jaywalking time. We also present implications for design and future research.