Human behavior facing a vehicle in shared spaces: investigating the relation between action and perception
Year: 2026
Type: conference-paper
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Autonomous vehicles will have to interact safely with pedestrians when integrated into cities. Some urban areas have adopted the shared space concept, where road users interact closely without explicit rules and across multiple directions. Observing pedestrian behavior in shared spaces with conventional vehicles provides insight into how autonomous vehicles can be effectively integrated into such spaces. However, studies of interactions between vehicles and pedestrians often lack shared space data and mostly focus on the crossing scenario. In this paper, we conducted observations of pedestrian interactions with vehicles in a shared space and categorized behaviors based on gaze, movement, gestures, and oral communication. We propose gaze and trajectory deviations as representative of information treatment by pedestrians, linking perception and action, and compare different interaction types. We also noted some trajectory deviations and protective behaviors in pedestrian groups. Finally, our observations suggest that hand gesture detection should not be a top priority in autonomous vehicle design.
Language: English
Subfield: Automotive Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7208801467