Is This My Ride? AV Braking Behavior from the Perspective of Waiting Ride Hailing Customers

Abstract

In virtual stop (vStop) pick-up scenarios the shared automated vehicle’s (SAV) approaching behavior as implicit communication to the awaiting customer is an important factor to build trust in the vehicle. Identifying the SAV timely could also help users getting ready for boarding and foster a positive perception of the automated service. An online study was conducted to identify trust building, information enhancing and collaboration fostering vehicle braking dynamics from the perspective of waiting customers. 102 participants viewed videos with three different SAV longitudinal braking dynamics in combination with three different conventional light signals. Results showed a user preference for defensive braking to approach flexible pick-up locations curbside. This complements the vehicle passengers’ desires for smooth driving dynamics. Additionally, turn indicator light signals as explicit communication received significantly higher ratings than only implicit communication in the pick-up scenario. Findings add value to understanding SAV behavior when approaching vStops and help designing coherent explicit and implicit communication of SAVs when interacting with surrounding traffic participants in pick-up scenarios.