Investigating the Effects of Pedestrian-to-Vehicle Human–Machine Interface Design Using Driving Simulator Experiment

Abstract

Pedestrian-to-vehicle (P2V) warning technology is expected to reduce pedestrian crashes and improve roadway safety. Previous studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of P2V; however, compared with a general P2V human–machine interface (HMI) design adopted in these studies, the necessity of applying different HMI designs specific to driving scenarios remains uncertain. To resolve the issue, this study conducted a driving simulator experiment to test the performance of various P2V HMI designs considering scenario heterogeneity. Two aspects of the HMI design, that is, the warning urgency level and warning content, were tested in five pedestrian pre-crash scenarios. The warning urgency level is categorized into two types, a “gradually changed” warning and an “emergency” warning, and the warning content focuses on either providing scenario-based distance information as a supplement or not. Data from 36 participants were collected in the study. The results show that using a “gradually changed” warning design can help a driver make gradual driving adjustments to the upcoming conflict, which improves the driving performance; in addition, providing scenario-based distance information can increase the safety buffer. Additionally, insights about driver features’ effects on P2V HMI design were also proposed. Drivers who had been in a not-at-fault crash before and their experience related to the advanced driver assistance system would interact with the P2V influence. This study’s findings have practical implications for both automobile manufacturers and researchers.