Notification device for self-driving vehicle and notification method for self-driving vehicle

A notification method for notifying a preceding person who precedes of a presence of a vehicle during automatic traveling, the notification method comprising:

• imaging the preceding person;
• estimating at least a characteristic of the imaged preceding person;
• determining a notification mode for the preceding person on a basis of at least a result of the estimating;
• and
• notifying the preceding person of the presence of the vehicle on a basis of the determined notification mode.

A notification device to be mounted on a vehicle and configured to notify a preceding person who precedes the vehicle of a presence of the vehicle during automatic traveling, the notification device comprising:

• an imaging unit configured to image the preceding person;
• and
• circuitry configured to
• estimate at least a characteristic of the preceding person imaged by the imaging unit,
• determine a notification mode for the preceding person on a basis of an estimation result the estimating, and
• operate a notifying unit configured to notify the preceding person of the presence of the vehicle, on a basis of the determined notification mode.