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Future transport will require fundamental changes if we are to tackle the climate crisis efficiently. Autonomous vehicles could play a crucial role as alternatives for private cars without hindering basic individual transport needs. That is especially true for the first and last mile, which is not covered by the public transport network. The scientific project AuRa (“Autonomes Rad”, engl. autonomous bicycle) comes in here. It develops a use case in which an electrified three-wheeled cargo bike will become an on-demand, shared autonomous vehicle for the city. The present work in progress focuses on the development of a user-centered design for such a vehicle. Recently, there has been a growing interest to illustrate the potential early involvement of future users can have on the successful introduction of new products. A better understanding of user needs, behavior, and expectations could inform de-signers and enable them to develop products that better correspond with the true needs of users. For the investigation into design engineering aspects of the future concept, a qualitative method was selected. A series of moderated discussions (focus groups) were conducted with potential users. The main goal was to investigate features regarding safety, comfort, personalization, and interaction, which enable comfortable usage for the user and might increase the acceptance of the vehicle. The results were used to inform engineering designers and support the further development of the next prototype of the autonomous cargo bike.

The transformation of the mobility sector is underway, and technological innovations such as autonomous driving are showing a way to set the future of mobility. In the implementation of new mobility offers, it is essential to consider aspects of acceptability research, as their use may directly depend on acceptability. In this study, determinants of the acceptability of autonomous mobility were investigated using both a comprehensive questionnaire and a virtual reality study. The questionnaire results show that assessments of acceptability of autonomous driving, in general, are lower than the acceptability of specific autonomous vehicles, in this case, autonomous cargo bikes. For both, acceptability increases if (1) the object of acceptability is also expected to be highly beneficial, (2) environmentally friendly values or (3) an intention to use sustainable means of transport exist and (4) discomfort towards innovations such as digitalization is low. Furthermore, the assessment of acceptability varies depending on groups, e.g. between men and women, or between cyclists and car drivers. Our virtual reality study showed that the possibility to experience interaction with autonomous vehicles has a positive effect on their acceptability and related variables.

Die gegenwartige Diskussion zum autonomen Fahren und die damit verbundenen Moglichkeiten zur Realisierung von Mobilitat-als-Dienstleistung-Anwendungen konzentriert sich bisher auf automotive Szenarien. In eine ganzheitliche Losungsstrategie fur urbane Raume sollten aber auch Rufsysteme fur Mikro- und Mini-Transportplattformen Eingang finden, da damit eine okologische und okonomische Erganzung zum PkW-gestutzen Individualverkehr geschaffen wird. Dieser Beitrag beschreibt die Vorteile eines Fahrradrufsystems auf der Basis von partiell autonom wirkenden Entitaten, diskutiert die technischen Herausforderungen und fasst den Stand der Technik zusammen.