Project: #317 Effect of Pedestrian and Crowds on Vehicle Motion and Traffic Flow Progress Report - Reporting Period Ending: Sept. 30, 2022 Principal Investigator: Umit Ozguner Status: Active Start Date: Feb. 1, 2020 End Date: June 30, 2023 Research Type: Advanced Grant Type: Research Grant Program: FAST Act - Mobility National (2016 - 2022) Grant Cycle: Mobility21 - The Ohio State University Progress Report (Last Updated: Sept. 24, 2022, 10:30 p.m.) % Project Completed to Date: 90 % Grant Award Expended: 0 % Match Expended & Document: 0 USDOT Requirements Accomplishments In this study, the major goal and objectives are understanding pedestrian motion and the effects on motion planning for automated vehicles interacting with pedestrians, as they step off the curb both individually and as groups. Under these goals we have (a) completed our pedestrian modeling studies; (b) refined the modeling of the effects of cars in nearby pedestrian motion, especially when cars are moving slowly; (c) considered the effect of occluded pedestrians (occluded by parked cars) emerging; (d) initiated formulation for safe driving of cars using knowledge about emergent pedestrians. One PhD student has finished his studies. Two students have finished their MS degrees. A journal paper has been submitted. Two more conference papers have been written, submitted and presented. A (videoconference based) Workshop was held, outlining all our research on "Pedestrians on the Roadway" attended by researchers an transportation professionals. Impacts We have carried out a multi-pronged attack on the topic of pedestrians on the roadway and their interaction with cars in general and automated cars in particular. We have to the body of scientific knowledge on: 1) Pedestrian motion modeling 2) Pedestrian-vehicle interaction in joint spaces 3) Control of automated cars through pedestrian crowds 4) How to deal with emergent occluded pedestrians 5) Automated speed control passing by a series of parked cars Our Workshop has attracted practitioners from industry (car manufacturers) and from government agencies. Our work may contribute to risk analysis of pedestrian crossing safety at intersections that a startup is investigating. Other A Public Newsletter on Vulnerable Road Users, The Bike Lane, presented an article outlining our work: https://www.tomesoftware.com/the-bike-lane-newsletter/avs-and-vrus/ Outcomes New Partners Ms. Fatema Tuj Jehola, from Technische Universität Clausthal, Clausthal-Zellerfeld, Germanyy, Department of Computer Science started collaborating with our group. Her extended visit was cut short due to the Pandemic, and she returned to Germany. Collaboration continued leading to conference paper being submitted. She has defended her PhD research for PhD at Univ. Clausthal. Project PI, Prof. U. Ozguner was a member of her Committee. Issues No significant changes.