Experiment on the Driver Assistance System of a Personal Mobility Vehicle Considering Pedestrians' Psychological Factors

摘要

Recently, personal mobility vehicles (PMVs) have been drawing attention to many researchers worldwide. However, in terms of psychology, pedestrians may feel discomfort when encountering a PMV. It is thus essential to consider the psychological factors of nearby pedestrians toward a PMV when the PMV operates in pedestrian flows. This study analyses the effect of a four-wheeled PMV equipped with a driving assistance system on nearby pedestrians. The proposed system detects surrounding pedestrians using ultrasonic sensors and informs the driver about the invasion of the vehicle via a vibrator. The experiment was conducted under different conditions of pedestrian density, and questionnaires were used to evaluate the feelings of PMV drivers and pedestrians such as discomfort and fear. The findings showed that the effectiveness of the proposed system was clearly confirmed.