Designing CAVs with vulnerable travellers in mind: Requirements to bridge the gap to full accessibility

Abstract

PAsCAL (www.pascal-project.eu) is a European Research and Innovation Action funded under the Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (GA No. 815098), focusing on capturing the acceptance on Connected Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs) and offering over 100 recommendations to enhance the overall perception of these technologies. Within the project, five real-world pilots were conducted, one of which explored the relationship of vulnerable travellers (persons with temporary or permanent mobility constraints, sensory impairments such as blind or partially sighted persons or elderly citizens) with these novel technologies. From the quantitative and qualitative data collected, concrete proposals can be made to ensure increased levels of accessibility in current and future versions of vehicles with decreased levels of human (driver-) support and personal customer support.