Problem Statement

In the future, ridepooling services are expected to make a significant contribution to increasing the attractiveness and flexibility of mobility supply as an extension of classic public transportation in order to achieve mobility and climate protection goals. This requires a massive scaling of these still novel ridepooling services, which can only be realized through vehicle automation. A ridepooling supply that is scalable is difficult to implement without autonomous driving technology.

Objective

The aim of the ALIKE project is to establish for the first time an overall system for the booking of autonomous shuttles in public transportation. It focusses on the integration of up to 20 autonomous research vehicles from different manufacturers. The autonomous on-demand service operates in the real world and is easily bookable digitally via apps. The KIT-IFV survey the acceptance of (potential) users of such an autonomous ridepooling service. The project results create the basis for a subsequent commercialization and scaling of ridepooling services.

Methods

The project implementation is divided into three main phases. In the preparation phase, detailed project planning and software development take place. In the integration phase, the vehicles are linked to the operating software. Furthermore, approvals for vehicles and the operating area are obtained in accordance with the new legislation. The operational phase will focus on the launch of the autonomous ridepooling service in the years from 2025 onwards. During the entire term, KIT-IFV will provide scientific support with surveys on acceptance and travel behavior. Potential and actual users of the service are surveyed in three phases. On this basis and with help of the agent-based travel demand model mobiTopp, traffic and ecological effects will be quantified.