arXiv subjects

Tram Thi Minh Tran

Publications and source records attributed to Tram Thi Minh Tran.

28 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2024

Advancing VR Simulators for Autonomous Vehicle-Pedestrian Interactions: A Focus on Multi-Entity Scenarios

Recent research has increasingly focused on how autonomous vehicles (AVs) communicate with pedestrians in complex traffic situations involving multiple vehicles and pedestrians. VR is emerging as an effective tool to simulate these multi-entity scenarios, offering a safe and controlled study environment. Despite its growing use, there is a lack of thorough investigation into the effectiveness of these VR simulations, leaving a notable gap in documented insights and lessons. This research undertook a retrospective analysis of two distinct VR-based studies: one focusing on multiple AV scenarios (N=32) and the other on multiple pedestrian scenarios (N=25). Central to our examination are the participants' sense of presence and their crossing behaviour. The findings highlighted key factors that either enhance or diminish the sense of presence in each simulation, providing considerations for future improvements. Furthermore, they underscore the influence of controlled scenarios on crossing behaviour and interactions with AVs, advocating for the exploration of more natural and interactive simulations that better reflect real-world AV and pedestrian dynamics. Through this study, we set a groundwork for advancing VR simulators to study complex interactions between AVs and pedestrians.

cs.HC↗

arXiv2024

Designing Interactions with Autonomous Physical Systems

In this position paper, we present a collection of four different prototyping approaches which we have developed and applied to prototype and evaluate interfaces for and interactions around autonomous physical systems. Further, we provide a classification of our approaches aiming to support other researchers and designers in choosing appropriate prototyping platforms and representations.

cs.HC↗

arXiv2024

Context-Based Interface Prototyping: Understanding the Effect of Prototype Representation on User Feedback

The rise of autonomous systems in cities, such as automated vehicles (AVs), requires new approaches for prototyping and evaluating how people interact with those systems through context-based user interfaces, such as external human-machine interfaces (eHMIs). In this paper, we present a comparative study of three prototype representations (real-world VR, computer-generated VR, real-world video) of an eHMI in a mixed-methods study with 42 participants. Quantitative results show that while the real-world VR representation results in higher sense of presence, no significant differences in user experience and trust towards the AV itself were found. However, interview data shows that participants focused on different experiential and perceptual aspects in each of the prototype representations. These differences are linked to spatial awareness and perceived realism of the AV behaviour and its context, affecting in turn how participants assess trust and the eHMI. The paper offers guidelines for prototyping and evaluating context-based interfaces through simulations.

cs.HC↗

arXiv2024

Exploring Holistic HMI Design for Automated Vehicles: Insights from a Participatory Workshop to Bridge In-Vehicle and External Communication

Human-Machine Interfaces (HMIs) for automated vehicles (AVs) are typically divided into two categories: internal HMIs for interactions within the vehicle, and external HMIs for communication with other road users. In this work, we examine the prospects of bridging these two seemingly distinct domains. Through a participatory workshop with automotive user interface researchers and practitioners, we facilitated a critical exploration of holistic HMI design by having workshop participants collaboratively develop interaction scenarios involving AVs, in-vehicle users, and external road users. The discussion offers insights into the escalation of interface elements as an HMI design strategy, the direct interactions between different users, and an expanded understanding of holistic HMI design. This work reflects a collaborative effort to understand the practical aspects of this holistic design approach, offering new perspectives and encouraging further investigation into this underexplored aspect of automotive user interfaces.

cs.HC↗

arXiv2024

A Review of Virtual Reality Studies on Autonomous Vehicle--Pedestrian Interaction

An increasing number of studies employ virtual reality (VR) to evaluate interactions between autonomous vehicles (AVs) and pedestrians. VR simulators are valued for their cost-effectiveness, flexibility in developing various traffic scenarios, safe conduct of user studies, and acceptable ecological validity. Reviewing the literature between 2010 and 2020, we found 31 empirical studies using VR as a testing apparatus for both implicit and explicit communication. By performing a systematic analysis, we identified current coverage of critical use cases, obtained a comprehensive account of factors influencing pedestrian behavior in simulated traffic scenarios, and assessed evaluation measures. Based on the findings, we present a set of recommendations for implementing VR pedestrian simulators and propose directions for future research.

cs.HC↗

arXiv2024

Holistic HMI Design for Automated Vehicles: Bridging In-Vehicle and External Communication

As the field of automated vehicles (AVs) advances, it has become increasingly critical to develop human-machine interfaces (HMI) for both internal and external communication. Critical dialogue is emerging around the potential necessity for a holistic approach to HMI designs, which promotes the integration of both in-vehicle user and external road user perspectives. This approach aims to create a unified and coherent experience for different stakeholders interacting with AVs. This workshop seeks to bring together designers, engineers, researchers, and other stakeholders to delve into relevant use cases, exploring the potential advantages and challenges of this approach. The insights generated from this workshop aim to inform further design and research in the development of coherent HMIs for AVs, ultimately for more seamless integration of AVs into existing traffic.

cs.HC↗

arXiv2024

Exploring the Impact of Interconnected External Interfaces in Autonomous Vehicleson Pedestrian Safety and Experience

Policymakers advocate for the use of external Human-Machine Interfaces (eHMIs) to allow autonomous vehicles (AVs) to communicate their intentions or status. Nonetheless, scalability concerns in complex traffic scenarios arise, such as potentially increasing pedestrian cognitive load or conveying contradictory signals. Building upon precursory works, our study explores 'interconnected eHMIs,' where multiple AV interfaces are interconnected to provide pedestrians with clear and unified information. In a virtual reality study (N=32), we assessed the effectiveness of this concept in improving pedestrian safety and their crossing experience. We compared these results against two conditions: no eHMIs and unconnected eHMIs. Results indicated interconnected eHMIs enhanced safety feelings and encouraged cautious crossings. However, certain design elements, such as the use of the colour red, led to confusion and discomfort. Prior knowledge slightly influenced perceptions of interconnected eHMIs, underscoring the need for refined user education. We conclude with practical implications and future eHMI design research directions.

cs.HC↗

arXiv2024

Simulating Wearable Urban Augmented Reality Experiences in VR: Lessons Learnt from Designing Two Future Urban Interfaces

Augmented reality (AR) has the potential to fundamentally change how people engage with increasingly interactive urban environments. However, many challenges exist in designing and evaluating these new urban AR experiences, such as technical constraints and safety concerns associated with outdoor AR. We contribute to this domain by assessing the use of virtual reality (VR) for simulating wearable urban AR experiences, allowing participants to interact with future AR interfaces in a realistic, safe and controlled setting. This paper describes two wearable urban AR applications (pedestrian navigation and autonomous mobility) simulated in VR. Based on a thematic analysis of interview data collected across the two studies, we found that the VR simulation successfully elicited feedback on the functional benefits of AR concepts and the potential impact of urban contextual factors, such as safety concerns, attentional capacity, and social considerations. At the same time, we highlighted the limitations of this approach in terms of assessing the AR interface's visual quality and providing exhaustive contextual information. The paper concludes with recommendations for simulating wearable urban AR experiences in VR.

cs.HC↗

arXiv2024

Scoping Out the Scalability Issues of Autonomous Vehicle-Pedestrian Interaction

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) may use external interfaces, such as LED light bands, to communicate with pedestrians safely and intuitively. While previous research has demonstrated the effectiveness of these interfaces in simple traffic scenarios involving one pedestrian and one vehicle, their performance in more complex scenarios with multiple road users remains unclear. The scalability of AV external communication has therefore attracted increasing attention, prompting the need for further investigation. This scoping review synthesises information from 54 papers to identify seven key scalability issues in multi-vehicle and multi-pedestrian environments, with Clarity of Recipients, Information Overload, and Multi-Lane Safety emerging as the most pressing concerns. To guide future research in scalable AV-pedestrian interactions, we propose high-level design directions focused on three communication loci: vehicle, infrastructure, and pedestrian. Our work contributes the groundwork and a roadmap for designing simplified, coordinated, and targeted external AV communication, ultimately improving safety and efficiency in complex traffic scenarios.

cs.HC↗

arXiv2024

Designing Wearable Augmented Reality Concepts to Support Scalability in Autonomous Vehicle-Pedestrian Interaction

Wearable augmented reality (AR) offers new ways for supporting the interaction between autonomous vehicles (AVs) and pedestrians due to its ability to integrate timely and contextually relevant data into the user's field of view. This article presents novel wearable AR concepts that assist crossing pedestrians in multi-vehicle scenarios where several AVs frequent the road from both directions. Three concepts with different communication approaches for signaling responses from multiple AVs to a crossing request, as well as a conventional pedestrian push button, were simulated and tested within a virtual reality environment. The results showed that wearable AR is a promising way to reduce crossing pedestrians' cognitive load when the design offers both individual AV responses and a clear signal to cross. The willingness of pedestrians to adopt a wearable AR solution, however, is subject to different factors, including costs, data privacy, technical defects, liability risks, maintenance duties, and form factors. We further found that all participants favored sending a crossing request to AVs rather than waiting for the vehicles to detect their intentions-pointing to an important gap and opportunity in the current AV-pedestrian interaction literature.

cs.HC↗