Expressive Vehicle Deceleration Cues for Pedestrian Intent Signaling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pedestrians and cyclists often feel uncertain when approaching vehicles, especially autonomous ones, as they lack clear indications of the vehicle's operational state or intent to stop or proceed, leading to potential safety concerns.
Innovation Solution
An expressive vehicle system that communicates its operational state through unique deceleration profiles, audio cues, and visual signals, allowing pedestrians and cyclists to better interpret the vehicle's intentions by initiating deceleration at a farther distance and using specific sound patterns that mimic engine RPM reduction, thereby enhancing safety and clarity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If autonomous vehicles operate without a driver present, then vehicle automation level increases, but pedestrian confidence and safety perception deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary communication system that mediates between the autonomous vehicle and pedestrians. This system uses visual displays, audio outputs, and structured lighting as intermediary channels to convey vehicle intent and operational state to pedestrians, bridging the trust gap created by driverless operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback loops where the vehicle continuously monitors pedestrian presence and behavior through sensors, then adjusts its communication strategy accordingly. The vehicle provides real-time feedback to pedestrians about its detected state and intended actions, creating a closed-loop communication system that enhances pedestrian confidence in autonomous operation.
2Loss of information
If the vehicle uses multiple communication channels (audio, visual, deceleration patterns), then information transmission to pedestrians improves, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies multi-functionality by using existing vehicle components for multiple purposes. The deceleration system, originally designed for traffic control, now also serves as a communication channel. The lighting system provides both illumination and intent communication. The audio system handles both navigation warnings and pedestrian communication, reducing the need for dedicated complex subsystems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges multiple communication functions into integrated sequences. Rather than operating audio, visual, and deceleration systems independently, the patent combines them into coordinated communication sequences where each channel reinforces the others, creating a unified communication approach that reduces overall system complexity while maintaining information clarity.
Data Source
AI summary
Among other things, techniques are described for expressive vehicle systems. These techniques may include obtaining, with at least one processor, data associated with an environment, the environment comprising a vehicle and at least one object; determining an expressive maneuver including a deceleration of the vehicle such that the vehicle stops at least a first distance away from the at least one object and the vehicle reaches a peak deceleration when the vehicle is a second distance away from the at least one object; generating data associated with control of the vehicle based on the deceleration associated with the expressive maneuver; and transmitting the data associated with the control of the vehicle to cause the vehicle to decelerate based on the deceleration associated with the expressive maneuver.