mFund research on diversity in mobility services
MyWay - Basic study on barriers in public transport for people with different requirements and on the improvement of mobility apps
The demands that people place on public transport and mobility services are influenced by a variety of personal and situational factors, for example the accessibility of railway stations and means of transport with a pushchair. This diversity is hardly taken into account in current mobility apps. Important information on connection quality is therefore missing for travellers with children or those with physical disabilities. Personal preferences, e.g. for level or illuminated routes, can usually not be specified at all - or only with great difficulty - in the route query.
In the "MyWay" project, the Institute of Transport Research and the Institute of Communications and Navigation at the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) are therefore developing the basis for expanding existing mobility apps and addressing existing "diversity data gaps". As associated partners, the project is supported by the Central German Transport Association, the Saxony-Anhalt Public Transport Service, the City of Leipzig and the Mobility Centre (teilAuto Carsharing).
"There is still too little knowledge about how different people would like to travel in certain situations and what obstacles they encounter with the various transport options. In MyWay, we are investigating these obstacles and want to find out how apps can help us get to our destination safely and comfortably." Says project manager Dr. Kerstin Stark from the DLR Institute of Transport Research.
Various methods are being used in the project. In a workshop with experts and stakeholders as well as in a Germany-wide survey, the mobility-related requirements and obstacles of people with a wide range of characteristics and living conditions will be analysed. A participatory format will then be used to examine how these can be technically integrated into mobility apps. The results will be presented at the end of the project in a final workshop and discussed taking ethical and data protection aspects into account.
The project kick-off is open to the public and will take place online on Monday, 29 August 2022 from 11:00 to 12:30.
You are cordially invited to attend and can register at https://dlr.expert/m-fund-projekt-my-way/ until 18 August 2022.
"MyWay" is being funded by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport with around 100,000 euros as part of the mFUND innovation initiative.
About the mFUND of the BMDV:
As part of the mFUND innovation initiative, the BMDV has been funding data-based research and development projects for digital and connected mobility 4.0 since 2016. Project funding is supplemented by active professional networking between stakeholders from politics, business, administration and research and by the provision of open data on the mCLOUD portal. Further information can be found at www.mFUND.de.
