Exploring Emerging Intelligent Transport System Applications Focused on Vulnerable Road Users

According to the World Health Organization, there were 1.19 million fatalities in road accidents in the year 2023 with more than half being Vulnerable Road Users (VRUs) — while modern vehicles have advanced safety features, pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists often lack protection. This paper discusses the possibilities of incorporating Mixed Reality (MR), and V2X communications within smart cities to create emerging ITS applications focused on VRUs. In addition, we discuss the architecture of smart cities and Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC) that are aimed to decrease latency and enhance data processing. Our review also highlights major challenges such as user acceptance, scalability, and the real-world applicability of the technology in living labs. As a result, we propose areas for future research that incorporate MR interfaces, geographically distributed edge systems, and novel interaction techniques with autonomous traffic and vehicles. This paper explores new pathways for urban mobility, striving for a safer and more equitable environment for all road users in cities.