Constraints matter: Virtual pedestrians with mobility constraints affect individuals' avoidance behaviours.

Area of Science:

• Human-computer interaction
• Robotics
• Urban planning

Background:

• Navigating crowded urban environments necessitates maintaining personal space.
• Previous research indicated object interaction affects pedestrian spacing, but lacked specificity regarding constraint types.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how different mobility constraints (stroller, bike, shopping bag) and pedestrian distraction influence avoidance behaviors during sidewalk navigation.
• To test if the type of object interaction affects path deviation and personal space adjustments.

Main Methods:

• Utilized an immersive virtual reality environment simulating an urban path.
• Participants walked and avoided virtual pedestrians exhibiting various mobility constraints and distraction levels.

Main Results:

• Pedestrian distraction did not significantly alter avoidance behaviors.
• A significant increase in medial-lateral separation was observed when encountering virtual pedestrians with strollers compared to other constraints.
• The type of mobility constraint differentially impacted the timing and progression of path deviations.

Conclusions:

• The characteristics of an obstacle, specifically mobility constraints, significantly influence collision avoidance strategies in pedestrian navigation.
• Strollers, in particular, elicit greater medial-lateral separation, suggesting a heightened awareness of avoidance needs.