Self-driving shuttles studied for use by seniors

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This article was published 28/05/2021 (1596 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

On-demand autonomous vehicles could be key to greater mobility for older adults, according to a University of Manitoba study.

Older adults and care-givers living in Winnipeg are being recruited for virtual focus groups by the Centre on Aging at the U of M to look into the future of self-driving shuttles as a transportation option, particularly for those with physical mobility impairments.

Dr. Michelle Porter from the U of M’s faculty of kinesiology and recreation management, and also the director of the Centre on Aging, said the first step in the Responsible Automation for Inclusive Mobility (RAIM) study is to find out what people think about the idea.

“People have heard about driverless cars,” she said. “We’re asking people their opinions about how autonomous shuttles could be used for public transportation. We don’t want to shape their opinions but rather, ask what they see would be useful.”

 The RAIM study is an international collaboration between researchers at the University of Manitoba, University of Leeds and University College London. The Manitoba-specific researchers are Porter, civil engineer Babak Mehran and Ahmed Ashraf from the university’s department of electrical and computer engineering.

The project received $517,288 in funds from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and the UK Research and Innovation.

“Transportation problems that arise if someone can’t drive also include an increase in social isolation, lack of access to services such as health care or recreation,” Porter said.

Ruheena Sangrar, a post-doctoral research associate at the Centre on Aging and an occupational therapist, said it’s important for seniors to have more than one option for transportation. “Our lens is focused on helping people stay engaged in the everyday activities that are meaningful to them. Lack of transportation can keep people stuck in their homes or even have to move from their homes.”

Sangrar, who is based in Ontario, said the pandemic has brought about a positive twist when it comes to engaging the public in focus groups. “Doing our research online is a new world for us,” she said. “Rather than calling people to go to the focus group, I can do the groups virtually. It opens the study up to people who already have issues with lack of transportation options.”

Feedback from the focus groups will modify the future steps taken in the project according to Sangrar. “We hope to have multiple groups going by June,” she said. “Once we finish the public engagement, the study shifts over to the engineering side, who will look into the artificial intelligence systems of the vehicles. There are two more years for the whole project.”

The researchers are looking into other locations which already use self-driving shuttles. “There are pilot projects going on at places like the University of Florida and also in Alberta,” Porter said, adding other locations on their radar include projects being done in France and Switzerland.

“Manitoba’s climate would prove to be a challenge, especially in the cold and snow of winter,” Porter said.

“That’s why we want to hear a whole range of perspectives, from seniors and their care-givers,” Sangrar said.