Using the Driving Behavior of an Automated Vehicle to Communicate Intentions - A Wizard of Oz Study

The study aimed to investigate whether different driving parameters that influence the trajectory can be used to communicate the intention of an automated vehicle (AV) regarding right of way to other traffic participants. We conducted a Wizard of Oz study, in which pedestrians (N=30) had to assess the driving behaviors of an AV and a normal vehicle in a shared space situation. Additionally, we evaluated whether the visual presence of a driver influences pedestrians' assessment of the vehicle's driving behavior and intention recognition time (IRT). IRT is the amount of time a pedestrian needs to recognize a vehicle's intention. The results showed that intentions are not only transmitted through the driver, but also through the driving behavior. Furthermore, the driver's visual presence influenced neither IRT nor pedestrians' assessment of the driving behavior.