C.U. Driver - Outer UI for autonomous public transport

Abstract: With the advent of autonomous vehicles (AV) comes a plethora of new parameters to take into consideration in automotive design. Over the years, traffic signals and rules have developed in symbiosis, and are clear and easy to understand when the communication is between drivers. It is less clear between driver and pedestrian, especially when a pedestrian intends to cross the street. A non-verbal agreement is made as to who is allowed to proceed. With AVs, the driver will become obsolete, and pedestrians will have no means of communicating with the vehicle. This project explores the possibility of applying an outer User Interface (UI) for autonomous vehicles, by looking at past paradigm shifts in technology, and analysing traffic signs and signals on a global scale. Limitations with this project lies in the local traffic signal variations, as well as physical variations in vehicles, as these would affect the layout and final form of the UI. With this in mind, I have chosen to focus this project on buses in public transportation. The main objective of the project is to reassure the pedestrian of their safety. In summary, the core of this project explores the concept of autonomous vehicle outer UI - one that can be adapted to situational and regional deviations, using both soft- and hardware.