Should I Stop or Should I Cross?: Interactions between vulnerable road users and automated vehicles

This dissertation aimed to understand the behavior of pedestrians and cyclists when interacting with automated vehicles (AVs). The role AVs’ characteristics such as their physical appearance, whether a driver is present, the presence of external communication interfaces, and factors pertaining to the behavior of the vehicle were investigated using virtual reality road crossing experiments. In addition, psychological factors that could be affected by the presence of AVs were included.