What could stops for autonomous shuttles look like? They need to be easily recognisable for passengers, and also for the shuttles themselves so they know where they’re supposed to stop. The project focuses on the design of stops specifically designed for autonomous shuttles. Autonomous driving has considerable potential to complement public transport, particularly in rural areas and on the outskirts of cities. The shuttles respond to actual demand: where conventional bus routes are uneconomical, they expand mobility options, while in urban areas they make it easier to switch from private cars to public transport. The technology does, however, require specific safety and technical standards that conventional stops often fail to meet.
Function meets design
The design of the stops lies at the heart of the project. In addition to virtual stops without a fixed location, autonomous shuttles can also use conventional stops for boarding and alighting. These pick-up and drop-off points should be user-friendly, meet technological requirements and blend harmoniously into their surroundings.
Tests under real-world conditions
Alongside the development of a modular toolkit for on-demand shuttle stops that can serve as a model for the region and beyond, the concept is also to be tested in practice. During a pilot phase, the clarity of passenger information and the technical equipment will be tested in a real-world laboratory. Passenger behaviour will be studied using different stop concepts at the Technical University of Munich’s Mobility Innovation Campus. The findings will inform the design of a prototype, which will then be tested in practice together with local partners.
