Shut Up and Drive? User Requirements for Communication Services in Autonomous Driving

In intelligent autonomous mobility, drivers become passengers tailoring their journey to individual needs. With no human driver on board, the question arises how the exchange of information between passenger and vehicle is appropriately designed as regards the booking process, recognition and welcoming, in-vehicle interaction, etc. To this, detailed knowledge about user requirements for communication technologies and services is needed, which were therefore investigated in this study. A two-step research approach was chosen, including qualitative and quantitative methods. Results showed generally positive attitudes towards autonomous mobility and a high willingness to ride in a self-driving car. Perceived advantages appeared to compensate for potential disadvantages in this context. With regard to communication services in on-demand shuttles, technologies already known from other application fields were commonly preferred. Online services, particularly smartphone and website, were selected for booking. The use of monitoring technologies to prevent crime, vandalism, and health emergencies was overall accepted, indicating an increased need for security among future user groups, which has to be taken into account in the technical development of autonomous mobility services. Findings of this study are of interest to both, science (experts in mobility and acceptance research) and industry (development and design of vehicle to passenger communication).