Cooperative interaction with cyclists in automated driving – KIRa

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Josef F. Krems; Professor Dr. Klaus Mößner, Ph.D., since 10/2019
• Subject Area: Electronic Semiconductors, Components and Circuits, Integrated Systems, Sensor Technology, Theoretical Electrical Engineering ; Social Psychology, Industrial and Organisational Psychology
• Term: from 2015 to 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 273258218

The interdisciplinary project KIRa at Chemnitz University of Technology aims at investigating solutions for cooperative interaction between automated vehicles and vulnerable road users (VRU) with a focus on bicyclists and pedestrians in obstruction situations. The research goals will be realized through a close interdisciplinary cooperation between engineering and traffic psychology. Main scenarios are complex interaction situations in low-speed urban areas (such as parking areas) which require implicit and/or explicit communication. The project is part of the research areas "3.2 Situationsprädiktion und Intentionserkennung" and "3.6 Systemergonomie" of the SSP 1835 proposal and a consistent continuation of the pre-project KIVI. Main goals and extensions of KIVI are the examination of how automated vehicles can assess and predict cooperation situations with bicycles and obstructed pedestrians, which cooperation signals can be used, how these signals need to be parameterised and how connected interaction architectures can be implemented efficiently. KIRa combines interdisciplinary approaches and innovative research methods such as video simulation studies incorporating embodied cognition, decentral acquisition of VRU-data and information exchange under connected conditions. The work plan starts with the acquisition of video- and measurement data using different sensors in pre-specified real-world scenarios with interaction demands. These scenarios will be integrated in the existing use-case-catalogue of the SPP 1835. The trajectories will be shared with all SPP-projects using the XML-format defined in the SPP. Based on the video material, experimental user studies are carried out to determine specific interaction parameters regarding implicit and explicit communication. Algorithms will be developed based on kinematic and georeferenced data of all road users in combination with infrastructure sensor information. Aim of the algorithms is the prediction of VRU-trajectories and the situation-dependent evaluation of VRU behaviour patterns in order to parameterise manoeuvre planning of the automated test vehicle. Based on all results, comprehensive on-road tests will be carried out including pedestrians, bicyclists and the automated test vehicle. These real-world tests allow for testing and evaluating all developed algorithms, decentral data acquisition, communication and prediction of VRU-trajectories.

• DFG Programme: Priority Programmes
• Subproject of: SPP 1835: Kooperativ interagierende Automobile
• Co-Investigator: Dr. Matthias Beggiato
• Ehemaliger Antragsteller: Professor Dr.-Ing. Gerd Wanielik, until 10/2019