In the vehicle automation and VRU interaction toolchain, a simulation is set up incorporat-ing several road users within the same traffic scenario. Future highly automated vehicles (AV) will not only have to interact with other vehicles, but also with vulnerable road users (VRUs) like e.g. pedestrians and cyclists.
VRU Toolchain Execution at an Intersection
Detailed view of the VRU interaction toolchain running in the NGC simulation framework, illustrating vehicle and vulnerable road user dynamics at an urban intersection.
Vehicle automation and interaction with vulnerable road users (VRU)
In the best-case scenario, there will be eye contact and non-verbal communication between human road users to resolve difficult traffic situations. An example for such a scenario could be a right-of-way situation, which needs special attenttion due to the simultaneous arrival of several road users. It is to assume that in AVs this interaction between motorized and non-motorized road users will be lacking and therefore needs to be replaced by additional information provided by the vehicle. The developed toolchain supports a simulative approach to test innovative communication concepts. The virtualization of the scenario makes it possible to set up a low-risk test environment which can be used to investigate the non-verbal interaction behavior of VRUs and AVs. Therefore the toolchain supports motion capturing, VRU simulator interconnection, and the integration of digital twins of real environments.
In the context of human-centered simulation, the additional question arises as to whether the simulation generates realistic behavior by the test persons. For this purpose, metrics for valid and desired user behavior and the quality of the simulation have been defined and explored, such as simulator sickness, presence and perceived realism, as well as objective performance measures. This toolchain has been utilized within the projects @City and STADT:up for improving automated driving in the city and learning about AV-VRU interaction. Hence, the toolchain was applied in projects in cooperation with industry partners such as BMW, Bosch, Continental, Mercedes, Opel, PSA, Renault, Siemens, Toyota, and many more. The results of transportation systems research ultimately serves human road users whose safety and comfort is increased by developing innovative concepts. It is therefore of central importance to test these concepts on real users in a safe and cost-efficient framework, in order to be able to make problem- and future-orientated contributions to the common good. The vehicle automation and VRU interaction toolchain provides important insights into user behavior and acceptance concerning potential hands-on solutions for tomorrow.
User Interaction Mosaic for VRU Toolchain Execution
Overview of four virtual users interacting with the VRU interaction toolchain during a simulated intersection scenario in the NGC framework.
