[NetEase Smart News, August 28] As autonomous vehicles start becoming a regular sight on our roads, ensuring pedestrian safety becomes a pressing concern. While there are several potential solutions, a standardized approach remains elusive.
Currently, pedestrians have two main ways to cross roads safely: either waiting for a clear gap in traffic or communicating directly with drivers. However, with the rising number of pedestrian fatalities in the U.S.—up 25% since 2010, resulting in over 5,000 deaths in 2015—the advent of self-driving cars offers hope for improving this grim statistic.
Traditionally, making eye contact with drivers has been crucial for pedestrians. Yet, this isn’t possible with autonomous vehicles. Even if a person is seated in the driver’s seat, they are essentially a passenger with minimal control over the car’s actions. They might be preoccupied with work, entertainment, or even sleeping, ignoring the situation ahead.
To address this, various entities, including my research team, tech companies, automakers, and startups, are exploring visual signals as a solution. This could involve something akin to a driver waving at a pedestrian or using the car's headlights to indicate intent. Initial studies show this approach is complex.
One challenge is how people respond when they realize a driverless car is approaching. Researchers at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute and UC San Diego have disguised drivers to simulate unmanned vehicles, revealing interesting reactions. Similarly, Duke University's Humans and Autonomous Systems Lab is examining how autonomous cars can effectively communicate with pedestrians.
[Image: A U.S. Standard "Stop Waiting" Signal]
Although federal guidelines exist for pedestrian signals at intersections, there’s no established standard for vehicle-to-pedestrian communication. Establishing such a standard is critical. A uniform signal nationwide would enhance safety for both pedestrians and drivers. Yet, we’re still uncertain about what form this should take.
Perhaps a lit sign could be placed on the roof or front bumper—or somewhere in between—but what message should it convey? Should it use multiple languages, or rely on universally recognized non-verbal symbols, similar to those at airports? Alternatively, could sound cues or music serve this purpose?
For a two-lane road, displaying a simple phrase like “safe to pass†on a car might suffice. However, the complexity increases significantly on wider roads. For instance, can “safe passage†truly ensure there are no vehicles in adjacent lanes when crossing a four-lane street? And how do we manage scenarios where multiple pedestrians cross from opposite directions simultaneously?
The design of these signs is equally important. To ensure readability from a distance of 100 feet—our current standard for fixed crosswalk signals—the text must be at least six inches tall, requiring a display nearly four feet wide. If the signs are mounted on moving vehicles, they may need to be even larger.
Of course, even the best-designed signs are ineffective if no one notices them. Our study last year confirmed this. We tested various displays on a van disguised as driverless and found that only 12% of pedestrians used the display to decide when to cross. Most relied on traditional methods, such as gauging vehicle speed and distance to determine safe crossing times.
As human-driven vehicles become less common, labs like ours—and those in Virginia and California—will continue researching pedestrian responses. This means more people will encounter researchers posing as drivers inside autonomous vehicles.
This article is brought to you by NetEase Smart Studio (WeChat ID: smartman163). Stay tuned for more insights on AI and the future!
Fast Recovery Diode,Ultra Fast Recovery Diode,Fast Recovery Rectifier Diode,Fast Recovery Epitaxial Diode
Shenzhen Kaixuanye Technology Co., Ltd. , https://www.icoilne.com