Effect of external HMIs on pedestrian safety and traffic flow — A motion capture study

Illuminated front displays have a huge potential beyond the purely cosmetic. Communication by light, especially with vulnerable road users, will be a crucial element of interaction for vehicles with increasing autonomy. As part of the Horizon Europe project HEIDI, Marelli and the Reutlingen University have investigated such interactions in a controlled setting. We present a unique and thorough study based on the combined technological capabilities of industry and academia. A test vehicle with an integrated front display with 768 RGB pixels and dynamic animated messages was built. Both test vehicle and pedestrian participant were tracked with a state-of-the-art motion capturing system with high spatial and temporal resolution. We collected data of over 1000 pedestrian-vehicle interactions. In the presentation, for the first time, the results of a pedestrian crossing event based on real timing data analysis will be described. This data can show significant improvements in traffic flow and pedestrian safety. Based on the outcome of this study we define recommendations for future legal regulations.