Preparing Urban Transport for an AV Future
Shared autonomous vehicles will need a passenger app that handles every step of the trip, from booking and pick-up to the journey and drop-off. This article sets out the functions such an app needs and how Shotl is preparing its platform for them.
Shotl's future is closely tied to the development of shared autonomous vehicles for use in urban, suburban, and rural environments. The platform is already prepared to integrate this emerging technology, which could change how many people move.
The synergies are comprehensive, with the combination of Shotl's platform and shared autonomous vehicles resulting in a product that covers the entire user journey.
A passenger app for shared autonomous vehicles needs several key functionalities for user–vehicle interaction, which will ease the transition to shared autonomous vehicles and improve the user experience.
Service Requests
- Precise geolocation: Allows the autonomous vehicle to accurately locate the user for pickup.
- Selection of points of interest: Facilitates the choice of common destinations, improving the efficiency of shared routes.
- Advance scheduling: Enables the planning of future trips, optimising the allocation of autonomous vehicles.
Pick-up Process
- Vehicle identification: Displays real-time information about the location and characteristics of the assigned vehicle.
- Access code: Provides a unique code to unlock the doors of the autonomous vehicle.
- Virtual assistance: Guides the user to the exact pickup point using augmented reality and/or maps.
Journey Features
- Real-time tracking: Allows the user to monitor the route and estimated pick-up time.
- Preference adjustment: Offers control over temperature, lighting, and on-board entertainment.
- Emergency communication: Provides a direct channel with the control centre.
Pick-up and Drop-off
- Proximity notification: Alerts the user when approaching the destination.
- Drop-off confirmation: Asks the user to confirm the journey's end before leaving the vehicle.
- Service evaluation: Allows the user to rate their experience, contributing to the continuous improvement of the system.
Use Cases and Solutions
There are also some use cases such a service will need to solve:
- Accessibility: For users with reduced mobility, the app should be able to request adapted vehicles and provide personalised assistance throughout the process.
- Groups: The application should allow for coordinating group trips, ensuring that all members are picked up and taken to the same destination efficiently.
- Route changes: Users should be able to request destination modifications during the journey, with the system recalculating the optimal route for all passengers.
- Lost items: The app should include a protocol for reporting and recovering items forgotten in autonomous vehicles.
- Multimodal integration: The service should coordinate transfers with other modes of transport, such as the metro or train, optimising wait times.
In conclusion, Shotl is preparing its platform for a future of urban mobility based on shared autonomous vehicles. That constantly evolving platform already supports public transport today and lays the foundation for a change in the way we move around both cities and rural areas.
As autonomous vehicle technology matures, Shotl aims to be part of the mobility ecosystem that makes shared autonomous transport work, offering an efficient and sustainable user experience.
