Integration of Wearables and Wireless Technologies to Improve the Interaction between Disabled Vulnerable Road Users and Self-Driving Cars

Abstract

The auto industry is accelerating, and self-driving cars are becoming a reality. However, the acceptance of such cars will depend on their social and environmental integration into a road traffic ecosystem comprising vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians. One of the most vulnerable groups within the road ecosystem is pedestrians. Assistive technology focuses on ensuring functional independence for people with disabilities. However, little effort has been devoted to exploring possible interaction mechanisms between pedestrians with disabilities and self-driving cars. This paper analyzes how self-driving cars and disabled pedestrians should interact in a traffic ecosystem supported by wearable devices for pedestrians to feel safer and more comfortable. We define the concept of an Assistive Self-driving Car (ASC). We describe a set of procedures to identify people with disabilities using an IEEE 802.11p-based device and a group of messages to express the intentions of disabled pedestrians to self-driving cars. This interaction provides disabled pedestrians with increased safety and confidence in performing tasks such as crossing the street. Finally, we discuss strategies for alerting disabled pedestrians to potential hazards within the road ecosystem.

Assistive Self-Driving Car Networks to Provide Safe Road Ecosystems for Disabled Road Users

“…In addition, the vehicle also begins to send periodic messages to the other vehicles, which upon receiving the messages consider the actions that the platoon lead vehicle has carried out to perform their own actions, such as reducing speed depending on the distance from the vehicle, the pedestrian, and the platoon lead vehicle. The results were published in [66] where the test scenario is described in greater detail.…”