Supplementary data for the paper 'Get out of the way! Examining eHMIs in critical driver-pedestrian encounters in a coupled simulator'

Past research suggests that displays on the exterior of the car, known as eHMIs, can be effective in helping pedestrians to make safe crossing decisions. This study examines a new application of eHMIs, namely the provision of directional information in scenarios where the pedestrian is almost hit by a car. In an experiment using a head-mounted display and a motion suit, participants had to cross the road while a car driven by another participant approached them. The results showed that the directional eHMI caused pedestrians to step back compared to no eHMI. The eHMI increased the pedestrians’ self-reported understanding of the car’s intention, although some pedestrians did not notice the eHMI. In conclusion, there may be potential for supporting pedestrians in situations where they need support the most, namely critical encounters. Future research may consider coupling a directional eHMI to autonomous emergency steering.

既往研究显示，被称为车辆外部人机交互装置（eHMIs）的汽车外部显示屏，可有效辅助行人做出安全的过街决策。本研究探究了车辆外部人机交互装置（eHMIs）的一项全新应用场景，即在行人险些遭遇车辆撞击的情境下提供方向指引信息。在一项采用头戴式显示器与动作捕捉服的实验中，受试者需完成过马路任务，同时另有受试者驾驶的车辆向其驶近。实验结果表明，相较于未启用该装置的对照组，启用方向指引型车辆外部人机交互装置会促使行人向后避让。尽管部分行人未察觉到该装置的存在，但该装置仍提升了受试者自述的对车辆行驶意图的认知程度。综上，在行人最需要辅助的危急交互场景中，车辆外部人机交互装置具备应用潜力。未来研究可考虑将方向指引型车辆外部人机交互装置与车辆自主紧急转向系统进行耦合。