i-EyFuze: An Eye-Shaped eHMI in Autonomous Vehicles that Provides Intentions for Pedestrians

Abstract

Autonomous driving technology has attracted considerable attention in recent years. Among them, eHMIs (external Human Machine Interface) that display text and symbols as a method of conveying a vehicle’s intentions have been actively developed. However, there are cases where the vehicle’s intentions are difficult to understand for pedestrians, or the differences in language and culture lead to various interpretations. Therefore, a method that enables pedestrians to intuitively understand the vehicle’s intentions is required. In our previous project, a twinkling eye interface that mimics the human eyeball was developed. In this interface, the self-shadow is superimposed to clarify the self-visualization in addition to the eye. It was demonstrated that the self-visualization supports intuitive interaction, such as paying attention and increasing interest. In this study, an Eye-Shaped eHMI called i-EyFuze was developed. i-EyFuze visualizes the vehicle’s recognition state by superimposing the pedestrian’s image onto the gaze display, thereby enhancing the communication of the vehicle’s driving intentions. In addition, the effectiveness of the developed eHMI was demonstrated by sensory evaluations through an experimental environment that simulated a pedestrian crossing.

Keywords: eHMI, Non-verbal Communication, Human Interface, Intention, Pedestrian

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1007329