Age-Inclusive Design Framework for On-Demand, Shared Autonomous Vehicles

Abstract

The often repeated promise of autonomous vehicles is to make transportation safer, cleaner, more accessible, and convenient - in particular for vulnerable and underserved groups, such as older adults and people using mobility devices. This future, however, is far from guaranteed; rather, it must be paved by a number of stakeholders, including at minimum, first those who have been traditionally underserved, as well as designers, AV makers and operators, policy makers and regulatory authorities. If we do not carefully study the mobility needs of users – young and old – and design to meet them, we stand to repeat the same fate of in-accessibility in new mobility as in the case of transportation network companies (TNCs). The time to think about age-inclusive design is now for AVs, and I make a case for this here. This thesis explores the following questions: ‘How can we imagine a fully autonomous future if we do not have a viable transportation pathway for younger children and older adults?’ ‘What challenges might users of mobility devices (e.g., rollators, baby strollers) face in using driverless vehicles with hitherto unseen form factors?’ ‘What spatial allowances and features should vehicle designers consider when re-imagining the interior space of autonomous vehicles?’ The study analyses user needs, questions, and suggestions across ten (10) vehicle touchpoints, and presents a series of recommendations aimed for design, operation, policy, regulation, and institutional reform.