A proposal of envelope theorem on the mixed traffic of pedestrians and various mobilities

Abstract

As machines gradually are introduced in human society and share public spaces with people, achieving human-machine coexistence becomes significant. Previous studies make contributions but are still insufficient to satisfy the needs of mixed traffic when mobilities increase. For dealing with the mixed traffic and ensuring safe and comfortable walking environments of pedestrians, this research proposes a new envelope theorem divided into physical and mental envelopes. The mental envelope (ME) as the focus of this research explains pedestrian perceptions from two perspectives, SME and OME, expanding the traditional interpersonal distance. To preliminarily explore the acceptance of two MEs and compare their differences, we conduct a questionnaire survey. The results show that MEs are accepted by participants, and express different pedestrian perceptions. The responses of subjective priority order showing the differences between SME and OME indicate their possible relationship. These findings would be beneficial to explore the future applications of MEs.