Crosssafe -Intro to HCI&UX CW2

 Smart traffic light


CROSSAFE



Research about pedestrian traffic light system

There are 2 main types of pedestrian traffic light system in the Uk

  1. Pelican crossing

  • People press button

  • the traffic lights change from green to red = signalling for drivers to stop

  • Wait

  • the traffic lights change from red to green = safe to cross

  • The green has fixed timings when green light flash = flashing amber light for the drivers signalling that they can  proceed if the crossing is clear

Image from https://www.smartdriversnetwork.co.uk/crossings-lgv/


2. Puffin crossing - pedestrian user-friendly intelligent

similar to 1st one with 2 sensors

1 on top of the traffic lights (PCD – pedestrian crossing detector

2 PKD - pedestrian kerb detector monitors the pedestrian's presence at the crossing

These sensors detect if  pedestrians are crossing slowly and can hold the red traffic light  longer if needed.


If a pedestrian presses the button but then walks  off, the PKD will cancel the request making the lights more efficient.



How does the timing come from?

https://www.heraldextra.com/uncategorized/2013/may/05/red-yellow-green-the-science-behind-traffic-lights/

The length of timingod each redestrain system derived from data collecting, analyzing and planning go into timing a light system and ensuring the smoothest traffic flow possible.

>> that might not correspond to the real world situation or the sensor on the puffin detect only the timing to reduce the waiting time for the driver not a pedestrain



Field research

We did direct observation at the following setting: Barrack Road, Newgate Street and Bigg Market

The route we took are shown in the figure below:

The data we collected includes photos and videos. We put the photos and screenshots of videos on the Miro and clustered and coded them.


Link of Miro: https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVPJhonYg=/





Analysis from field research

Problem

  1. Foreigners may get confused with the  direction they should look at .

  2. Many people won’t waste their time to press the button or wait. They just cross when there are no cars.

  3. When pressing the button, the system will process the length of time to wait- this is not relevant to the actual situation of the road. People sometimes have to wait while  the road is empty.

  4. People usually look at their phones whilst crossing so they pay no attention to the road.


Main concept of development:

  • A system that adapts to the real world situation 

  • Reduced waiting time 

  • Target to situate on the floor which is the main focus of people nowadays who usually walk while they text

  • Indicates to disabled people / blind people when they should cross- potentially more effective than just sound


Design version 1:








The current idea of functions:

  • Speed and distance sensor on the traffic road

  • A pole light on each side of the crossing indicates the orientation of the vehicle approaching, the side that the vehicle approaches would light up to warn pedestrians. There are icons of eye and arrow on the pole light for people to learn their function. They can project the text of ‘LOOK RIGHT’ or ‘LOOK LEFT’ on the ground in the middle of the crossing.

  • Floor vibrates ( indication for blind people to not cross)-- fun for children –in  addition = sound playing to indicate crossing vs no sound playing for not crossing

 



Persona


Persona 1– Home person with visual impairment

Name – Bobby 

Gender– Male 

Age – 35 

Occupation – Engineer

Hobby— gardening

Characteristics — Loss of all peripheral vision and also part of central vision; Always with his guide dog Stratch;  Very careful when crossing the road

Pain point– don’t know when to cross



Persona 2– International student 

Name- Xiao Mei

Gender- Female

Age- 22

Occupation - undergraduate student in accounting

Hobby - baking, nail colouring, cafe hopping

Characteristics - arrive Newcastle yesterday

  • Shy and nervous in new environment

Pain point - not used to the left-hand traffic of the UK



Persona 3- local people

Name- Angelina

Gender- Female

Age- 45

Occupation - lawyer 

Hobby - writing / collects paintings 

Characteristics - energetic and impatient, coffee addicted

Pain point - late to work because waste time to wait for empty road

  • don’t like many people on street

  • Usually text while walk


Scenario— Storyboard format +description 

2 scenarios one before & one after 

Scenario 1– Amaal








Scenario 2 - Xiao Mei

Before


After

  1. Xiao Mei reached the pedestrian crossing opposite the school. 

  2. She stepped on the textile floor with motion sensors. When the motion sensors detected people, it would signal to the LED lights that were installed into the textile floor and change it to a bright red colour.

  3. Xiao Mei stopped and waited when she noticed the red colour on the floor.

  4. 15 seconds later when the road was empty, the floor would turn to green colour and also the side pole facing pedestrian view on both sides showed a green sign with an eye and arrow pointing to the right hand.

  5. Xiao Mei saw the sign on the pole. She realised that the roads in the UK are different from her home country and needed to be careful and double check while crossing.


Scenario 3 Yiwen

Local busy


Before design implementation

After design implementation


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