Observations of Pedestrian Interactions with Driverless Cars

Automakers are investigating the autonomous vehicle as a replacement for traditional driving, not only to free up drivers from the task of driving, but in conjunction with a transition from owned to shared cars. In this scenario, people need no longer own cars or hire taxi/uber/lyft, but rather will be able to hire an autonomous car. This is seen to both reduce the number of cars on the road and to make taxi services affordable for patrons. However, it is unclear how the absence of a driver will impact feelings of safety and security, and how it may influence behaviors of passengers. Even if the self-driving technology were perfected, there may be profound social impacts presented by removing any driver from the loop. This research seeks to better understand those impacts to help avoid potentially negative experiences and to design more positive experiences for future passengers in driverless taxis.
The purpose of the study is to investigate the interaction between autonomous cars and vehicle occupants. It is unclear how vehicle occupants will regard, understand and interact with an autonomous car, and with each other (in cases of multiple occupants). TO BE CON’T

Faculty Supervisor:

Mark Chignell

Student:

Partner:

Stanford University

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Education

University:

University of Toronto

Program: