In one of the more unusual experiments we’ve seen recently, researchers attached a large pair of cartoonish googly eyes to the front of a small, self-driving vehicle – and it turns out that this kind of anthropomorphic tweak could actually improve pedestrian safety.
Researchers believe that a pair of peepers positioned in front of the driverless vehicle could give motorists a better idea of their presence. This information is very useful when trying to decide the right moment to cross in front traffic.
“If the car isn’t looking at the pedestrian, it indicates that it doesn’t recognize him.” Send your research to researchers. “Pedestrians are able to judge if they should cross the street. This helps avoid traffic accidents.
According to research, this type of “gazing car” could reduce traffic accidents and make pedestrians feel safer.
Researchers used a modified golf buggy that appeared empty to conduct this study. Researchers controlled the large, swiveling front eyes. In the future, however, this could be controlled remotely by an AI system on a self-driving car.
Experiments were done in virtual reality to keep the 18 participants safe. The volunteers – nine men and nine women – were asked to decide whether or not to cross the road as the cart approached. The cart had eyes fitted and the cart didn’t. Four scenarios were tested.
Researchers measured the frequency with which people hesitated crossing when it was safe, and when they chose to cross when it was unsafe. Participants had safer and smoother crossing experiences when the eyes were present.
The results showed a gender divide. The eyes did not help men in dangerous situations. It warned them to halt before they could go any further. The eyes signaled that it was safe to proceed for women.
“The results indicated a clear difference in genders which was unexpected and surprising.” One of the researchers saysChia-Ming Chang, University of Tokyo, Japan.
“While some factors such as age and background may have influenced participants’ reactions, this is an important point because it shows that different road users might have different behaviors, needs, and communication methods in our future self driving world.
It is possible to imagine a self-driving world. DifferentIn many different ways. Both the passengers in autonomous vehicles and road users will have to reevaluate their behavior in certain areas.
Although oversized cartoon eyes may not be a feature of future autonomous vehicles, this study shows how research is needed to better understand pedestrians and their interactions before they take to the roads.
The ultimate goal is to make everyone as safe as humanly possible. It seems like that’s the case at the moment. It’s still a ways off, however. – giving scientists more time to look at the resulting implications.
“There isn’t enough research on the interaction between self driving cars and pedestrians.” Takeo Igarashi is a computer scientistFrom the University of Tokyo.
“So, we need to do more research and put in more effort to make such interaction possible to ensure safety and security for society with self-driving vehicles.”
A paperThe research was presented before peer reviewThe International Conference on Automotive User Interfaces and Interactive Vehicular Applications.
