Periodic Reporting for period 2 - Shape-IT (Supporting the interaction of Humans and Automated vehicles: Preparing for the EnvIronment of Tomorrow)
Reporting period: 2021-10-01 to 2024-03-31
The last decade has seen significant focus on the development of automated vehicles (AVs). Therefore, there is currently a significant skills shortage; many have considerable difficulties recruiting qualified personnel. The shortage of qualified researchers with multidisciplinary skills spanning the human, computer, and engineering sciences is particularly problematic.
The foremost aim of the SHAPE-IT project was to address this shortage by training early-stage researchers (ESRs) who can design user-centred and safe vehicle automation. Developers of AVs must ensure that humans both inside and outside an AV can understand its capabilities and intent so they can predict its response to their actions (as in AV interactions with non-automated road-users). It is important that users of AVs as well as other road users trust the AVs “just enough”. In addition, developing safe and trusted automation requires tools that can assess the benefits of automation technologies before they reach the road. From a societal perspective, automated vehicles must be safe, so developers of vehicle automation must have a “safety first” mindset.
In summary, the overall research objectives of SHAPE-IT have been to ensure a successful transition to automated traffic in the cities of the future – for all road-users. By doing so, society will reap the full benefits of AVs in our cities.
The foremost aim of the SHAPE-IT project was to address this shortage by training early-stage researchers (ESRs) who can design user-centred and safe vehicle automation. Developers of AVs must ensure that humans both inside and outside an AV can understand its capabilities and intent so they can predict its response to their actions (as in AV interactions with non-automated road-users). It is important that users of AVs as well as other road users trust the AVs “just enough”. In addition, developing safe and trusted automation requires tools that can assess the benefits of automation technologies before they reach the road. From a societal perspective, automated vehicles must be safe, so developers of vehicle automation must have a “safety first” mindset.
In summary, the overall research objectives of SHAPE-IT have been to ensure a successful transition to automated traffic in the cities of the future – for all road-users. By doing so, society will reap the full benefits of AVs in our cities.
SHAPE-IT research was quite diverse, addressing many different facets of the design and development of AVs. Here a short overview of aspects relevant to policymaking is provided. For details about the contribution to other domains than policymaking, see the many peer-reviewed publications and deliverables produced in SHAPE-IT (https://www.shape-it.eu/dissemination/).
1. There are several terms and concepts in the domain of automated vehicle (AV) development, use, and assessment with no agreed-upon definition. SHAPE-IT contributes to the refinement of definitions of comfort, transparency, and acceptance of AV HMIs to foster cohesive communication across stakeholders.
2. As AVs approach the level of safety that policymakers seek to promote AV adoption, the factors of transparency, acceptance, and trust (including perceived safety) become crucial for influencing the willingness to pay for AVs. SHAPE-IT contributes to a) insights into acceptable and trusted AV designs, b) tools for assessing transparency, c) tools for assessing perceived safety, and d) insights into the necessity of considering learning strategies related to how humans interact with AVs, both inside and outside of the AV.
3. The efficient development of safe and accepted AVs necessitates effective communication. SHAPE-IT contributes to the body of engineering practices with a) human factors-related requirement strategies and b) an understanding of the beneficial placements of human factors experts within organizations to maximize their impact on AV development.
4. For an AV to be safe and accepted, its computer-driver must consider the actions and interactions of other human road users. SHAPE-IT contributes to the creation of computational models of a) cyclists’ interactions with motorized vehicles, b) pedestrians’ decision-making in their interactions with motorized vehicles, and c) predictions of pedestrians’ trajectories and intents. These models may be included in the computer-driver to predict pedestrians' and cyclists' intents, facilitating safe interactions.
5. Given that AVs in future cities must interact with vulnerable road users and manually driven vehicles, effective communication between AVs and these road users may become a crucial element of safe and accepted AV integration into traffic. SHAPE-IT contributes with a) research on the design of augmented reality interfaces for pedestrians, b) design strategies for AV-external human-machine interfaces (eHMI) and how they affect road-user behaviour, and c) communication through vehicle kinematics.
6. Evaluating the safety of AVs requires both understanding the scenarios AVs may encounter and having the tools available for accurate and efficient safety assessment. SHAPE-IT contributes with scenario definitions for cyclist interactions and improved methods for virtual safety assessment.
Although the research results from SHAPE-IT are important contributions, the training of the ESRs to be skilled researchers is at least as important. SHAPE-IT training has included several physical events as well as online training sessions (during the pandemic) and exposed the students to a variety of stakeholders.
Many publications have been submitted to peer-reviewed journals and many are already published. The ESRs have also attended conferences and other scientific dissemination venues. As part of SHAPE-IT’s final stakeholder workshop, we produced a project summary video as well as individual videos for each ESR (https://www.shape-it.eu/shape-it-videos/) where the ESRs also describe their research and reflect on their respective research domains.
Regarding research exploitation, SHAPE-IT outcomes are already used by several stakeholders, ranging from industry to policymaking. One example is that SHAPE-IT ESRs contribute (post-SHAPE-IT) to the EU project HiDrive. The partners of SHAPE-IT continue to collaborate, and in a few cases SHAPE-IT ESRs have continued their research career at another SHAPE-IT partner.
At the time of writing this summary, three of the 15 ESRs have successfully defended their PhDs, while the vast majority of the remaining ESRs have preliminary dates for their defence in the fall of 2024, and some in early 2025.
1. There are several terms and concepts in the domain of automated vehicle (AV) development, use, and assessment with no agreed-upon definition. SHAPE-IT contributes to the refinement of definitions of comfort, transparency, and acceptance of AV HMIs to foster cohesive communication across stakeholders.
2. As AVs approach the level of safety that policymakers seek to promote AV adoption, the factors of transparency, acceptance, and trust (including perceived safety) become crucial for influencing the willingness to pay for AVs. SHAPE-IT contributes to a) insights into acceptable and trusted AV designs, b) tools for assessing transparency, c) tools for assessing perceived safety, and d) insights into the necessity of considering learning strategies related to how humans interact with AVs, both inside and outside of the AV.
3. The efficient development of safe and accepted AVs necessitates effective communication. SHAPE-IT contributes to the body of engineering practices with a) human factors-related requirement strategies and b) an understanding of the beneficial placements of human factors experts within organizations to maximize their impact on AV development.
4. For an AV to be safe and accepted, its computer-driver must consider the actions and interactions of other human road users. SHAPE-IT contributes to the creation of computational models of a) cyclists’ interactions with motorized vehicles, b) pedestrians’ decision-making in their interactions with motorized vehicles, and c) predictions of pedestrians’ trajectories and intents. These models may be included in the computer-driver to predict pedestrians' and cyclists' intents, facilitating safe interactions.
5. Given that AVs in future cities must interact with vulnerable road users and manually driven vehicles, effective communication between AVs and these road users may become a crucial element of safe and accepted AV integration into traffic. SHAPE-IT contributes with a) research on the design of augmented reality interfaces for pedestrians, b) design strategies for AV-external human-machine interfaces (eHMI) and how they affect road-user behaviour, and c) communication through vehicle kinematics.
6. Evaluating the safety of AVs requires both understanding the scenarios AVs may encounter and having the tools available for accurate and efficient safety assessment. SHAPE-IT contributes with scenario definitions for cyclist interactions and improved methods for virtual safety assessment.
Although the research results from SHAPE-IT are important contributions, the training of the ESRs to be skilled researchers is at least as important. SHAPE-IT training has included several physical events as well as online training sessions (during the pandemic) and exposed the students to a variety of stakeholders.
Many publications have been submitted to peer-reviewed journals and many are already published. The ESRs have also attended conferences and other scientific dissemination venues. As part of SHAPE-IT’s final stakeholder workshop, we produced a project summary video as well as individual videos for each ESR (https://www.shape-it.eu/shape-it-videos/) where the ESRs also describe their research and reflect on their respective research domains.
Regarding research exploitation, SHAPE-IT outcomes are already used by several stakeholders, ranging from industry to policymaking. One example is that SHAPE-IT ESRs contribute (post-SHAPE-IT) to the EU project HiDrive. The partners of SHAPE-IT continue to collaborate, and in a few cases SHAPE-IT ESRs have continued their research career at another SHAPE-IT partner.
At the time of writing this summary, three of the 15 ESRs have successfully defended their PhDs, while the vast majority of the remaining ESRs have preliminary dates for their defence in the fall of 2024, and some in early 2025.
The outcomes of SHAPE-IT include new and improved methods for assessing how transparent an AV design is (i.e. how effectively the AV “communicates” with people both inside and outside) as well as improvements of several components of virtual safety assessment and AV algorithm designs. These improvements involve modelling the way road users interact, including cognition-based and more data-driven AI methods. Results from SHAPE-IT pertain to interactions both inside and outside the AV, for example design strategies that can be used to improve a variety of human/AV interactions, including communication between AVs and surrounding road users through on-vehicle or wearable devices.
The scientific outcomes from SHAPE-IT are likely to help the automotive industry develop safer and more user-centred AVs, and to help policymakers and road authorities make informed decisions about AVs. The dissemination of SHAPE-IT results to the broader public may improve people’s understanding of AVs, facilitating a reasonable, calibrated level of trust in AV performance. These actions will in turn likely speed up the use of AVs, resulting in improvements in safety and mobility.
In addition to moving the research topic substantially forward, the 15 ESRs in SHAPE-IT have acquired the key research skills required to study and model human behaviour in traffic. They have unique competences gained from studying, designing, and evaluating AVs for urban use. In their future employment they can bridge the gap between the domains of human factors specialists and hard-core AV engineers, having been trained in a variety of complementary methods.
The short to medium term societal implications of the project likely include safer and more user-centred AVs.
The scientific outcomes from SHAPE-IT are likely to help the automotive industry develop safer and more user-centred AVs, and to help policymakers and road authorities make informed decisions about AVs. The dissemination of SHAPE-IT results to the broader public may improve people’s understanding of AVs, facilitating a reasonable, calibrated level of trust in AV performance. These actions will in turn likely speed up the use of AVs, resulting in improvements in safety and mobility.
In addition to moving the research topic substantially forward, the 15 ESRs in SHAPE-IT have acquired the key research skills required to study and model human behaviour in traffic. They have unique competences gained from studying, designing, and evaluating AVs for urban use. In their future employment they can bridge the gap between the domains of human factors specialists and hard-core AV engineers, having been trained in a variety of complementary methods.
The short to medium term societal implications of the project likely include safer and more user-centred AVs.