Diagnosing Sharing Anxiety

Numerous studies indicate that the potential of autonomous vehicles (AVs) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce traffic congestion, and increase mobility access can only be fully realized through fleets of vehicles being used for shared rides, also known as dynamic ridepooling. This has the potential for transforming the public transport industry, as well as how transportation functions in urban and rural contexts.In order for shared AVs (SAVs) to be a feasible service, users need to be willing to share a driverless space with strangers. However, most of the research in the field has focused on traffic impact studies or in technological acceptance, not social acceptance of the driverless space an AV represents. In contemporary dynamic ridepooling or on-demand transport, users are often motivated through lower fares to share their ride in a human-driven vehicle, yet pooled rides are not a given service by many companies.Understanding how potential users feel about sharing a driverless space with strangers, is critical in order to develop strategies for increasing acceptance and adoption of a new mobility behavior, especially when planning for shared autonomous transport. What are the factors that would motivate users to make this choice? If given the option of a driverless vehicle, would users of these services be motivated by the same factors? That is what Study 1 of this licentiate thesis sought to answer.Using qualitative research methods, the study comprised of four focus groups held in New South Wales, Australia, with active users of either the trialled on-demand transport service or commercial ridepooling. Through thematic analysis of the focus group conversations, confirmed factors of cost, comfort, convenience, safety, community culture, and trust in authority emerged. However, the results showed that when presented with driverless scenarios, the focus group participants’ willingness-to-share dropped significantly, due to strong concerns about the unknown behaviour of their co-passengers. This revealed ”sharing anxiety” in even extremely motivated users of dynamic ridepooling, and a potential barrier to the deployment of SAVs.Thus Study 2 turned to transportation stakeholders in New South Wales, to understand their perspectives on how to mitigate this problem. Study 2 is a policy-focused investigation with experts from the state’s transport authority, autonomous vehicle operators, public transport operators, and academics. Again, qualitative methods were used, this time one-on-one interviews. The results revealed a relative lack of awareness about the existence and impact of sharing anxiety, which in turn raises concerns about the preparedness of governments and transport operators to introduce SAV services.The combined confirmation of sharing anxiety as a complex barrier, as well as the lack of awareness from transportation stakeholders, indicates a potential challenge to the widespread adoption of SAVs and shared autonomous public transport (SAPT), one that would require building strategies for increasing willingness-to-share at the community or societal level. This licentiate begins the foundational work towards the development of a descriptive and prescriptive framework, the Societal Readiness Index for Shared Autonomy

Spatial relational learning and foraging in cotton-top tamarins

Spatial relationalleaming can be defined as the use of the spatial (geometric) relationship between two or more cues (landmarks) in order to locate additional points in space (O'Keefe and Nadel, 1979). An internal spatial representation enables an animal to compute novel locations and travel routes from familiar landmarks and routes (Dyer, 1993). A spatial representation is an internal construct mediating between perceived stimuli in the environment and the behaviour of the animal (Tolman, 1948). In this type of spatial representation the information encoded must be isomorphic with the physical environment such that the geometric relations of distance, angle and direction are maintained or can be computed from the stored information (Gallistel, 1990). A series of spatial and foraging task experiments were conducted to investigate the utilisation of spatial relational learning as a spatial strategy available to cotton-top tamarins (Sag uinus oedipus oedipus). The apparatus used was an 8x8 matrix of holes set in an upright wooden board to allow for the manipulation of visual cues and hidden food items such that the spatial configuration of cues and food could be transformed (translated or rotated) with respect to the perimeter of the board. The definitive test of spatial relational learning was whether the monkeys relied upon the spatial relationship between the visual cues to locate the position of the hidden food items. In a control experiment testing for differential use of perceptual information the results showed that if given the choice, tamarins relied on visual over olfactory cues in a foraging task. Callitrichids typically depend on olfactory communication in socio-sexual contexts so it was unusual that olfaction did not also play a significant role in foraging. In the first spatial learning experiment, the tamarins were found to rely on the three visually presented cues to locate the eleven hidden food items. However, their performance was not very accurate. In the next experiment the task was simplified so that the types of spatial strategies the monkeys were using to solve the foraging task could be clearly identified. In this experiment, only two visual cues were presented on either end of a line of four hidden food items. Once the monkeys were trained to these cues, the cues and food were translated and/or rotated on the board. Data from the beginning and middle of each testing session were used in the final analysis: in a previous analysis it was found that the monkeys initially searched the baited holes in the beginning of a testing session and thereafter predominantly searched unbaited holes. This suggests that they followed a win-stay/lose-shift foraging strategy, a finding that is supported by other studies of tamarins in captivity (Menzel and Juno, 1982) and the wild (Garber, 1989). The results also showed that the monkeys were searching predominately between the cues and not outside or around of them, indicating that they were locating the hidden food by using the spatial relationship between the visual cues. This provides evidence for the utilisation of spatial relational learning as a foraging strategy by cotton-top tamarins and the existence of complex internal spatial representations. Further studies are suggested to test captive monkeys' spatial relational capabilities and their foraging strategies. In addition, comparative and field studies are outlined that would provide information regarding New World monkeys' spatial learning abilities, neurophysiological organisation and the evolution of complex computational processes

Primate spatial strategies and cognition: Introduction to this special issue

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/106890/1/ajp22257.pd

Using virtual reality to investigate comparative spatial cognitive abilities in chimpanzees and humans

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/106811/1/ajp22252.pd

Sharing anxiety is in the driver’s seat: Analyzing user acceptance of dynamic ridepooling and its implications for shared autonomous mobility

As connected, electric, and autonomous vehicle (AV) services are developed for cities, the research is conclusive that the use of these services must be shared to achieve maximum efficiency. Yet, few agencies have prioritised designing an AV system that focuses on dynamic ridepooling, and there remains a gap in the understanding of what makes people willing to share their rides. However, in 2017, the Australian transport authority Transport for New South Wales launched over a dozen trials for on-demand, shared public transport, including AVs. In this paper, we investigate the user willingness-to-share, based on experiences from one of these trials. Four focus groups (19 participants in total) were held in New South Wales with active users of either the trialled on-demand dynamic ridepooling service (Keoride) or commercial ridepooling (UberPool). Through thematic analysis of the focus group conversations, the cost, comfort, convenience, safety, community culture, and trust in authority emerged as factors that influenced the willingness-to-share. When presented with driverless scenarios, the focus group participants had significant concerns about the unknown behaviour of their co-passengers, revealing sharing anxiety as a significant barrier to the adoption of shared AVs. This paper identifies previously disregarded factors that influence the adoption of AVs and dynamic ridepooling and offers insights on how potential users’ sharing anxiety can be mitigated

The use of technology to enhance zoological parks

Technology can be used in a zoological setting to improve visitor experience, increase research opportunities, and enhance animal welfare. Evaluating the quality of these technological innovations and their use by nonhuman and human counterparts is a critical part of extending the uses of technology to enhance animal welfare and visitor experience at zoological parks. Survey data from a small sample of institutions housing primates suggest that computers, television, radio, and sprinklers are the most prevalent types of technological enrichment currently used. Survey respondents were positive about the technology implemented, stating a desire to increase its use. Zoo Biol 30:487–497, 2011. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/86919/1/20353_ftp.pd

Can a Blockchain-Based Maas Create Business Value?

In this paper two contemporary technological novelties are combined to introduce the concept of a blockchain-based MaaS, with the aim of pinpointing where and how business value can be created through data-based services of such a system. Towards this purpose, an integrated version of the Business Model Canvas is deployed, combining the advantages of the Lean Canvas and the Ethics Canvas. The overview of data flows among the versatile system stakeholders are outlined to highlight the potential benefits for diverse industries through sharing and collaboration

Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) navigate to find hidden fruit in a virtual environment

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