Ethical Social Robot Moderators for Traffic Management: Integrating Automated Vehicles and Vulnerable Road Users

Urban traffic environments are rapidly evolving with the adoption of connected and automated vehicles (CAVs), yet challenges remain regarding interactions between these vehicles and vulnerable road users (VRUs). This paper introduces the concept of an Ethical Social Robot Moderator (ESRM) that facilitates coordination and communication in mixed-traffic contexts. By consolidating insights from research on robot trust and tele-operation, vehicular communication systems, and ethical frameworks for autonomous driving, the proposed ESRM aims to reduce collision risks, enhances cooperation among heterogeneous road users, and provides transparent decision-making based on well-defined moral principles. The proposal is a structured design for the ESRM, extending simulation strategies in the CARLA environment with detailed metrics, and integrating references from prior literature to illustrate how these social robots can bridge multiple technological domains. This work serves as a unifying contribution to a broader field that spans robotics, communication networks, and ethical AI in urban mobility.