10AI-Enabled Accessible Travel in Autonomous Vehicles: Promises, Perceptions, and Prototypes
Brandon J. Pitts1, Qiyue Wang1, and Bradley S. Duerstock1,2
1Edwardson School of Industrial Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
2Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
10.1 Introduction
Significant advancements in technology and artificial intelligence (AI) have resulted in the development of autonomous (or self-driving) vehicles, which can operate with little to no human intervention. Autonomous vehicles (AVs) have many potential benefits for two particular populations that share commonalities—people with disabilities and older adults. The National Council on Disability’s 2015 Report Self-Driving Cars: Mapping Access to a Technology Revolution highlights that next-generation autonomous driving technologies are expected to introduce a wide range of opportunities as well as a new set of challenges for persons with travel-limiting disabilities (Henderson & Golden, 2015).
Particularly, AVs promise to make personal travel more accessible, ensuring that anyone can travel independently regardless of their ability. Currently, millions of people with disabilities and older adults cannot drive a vehicle or do not have access to reliable, effortless transportation. Others can partially drive but, due to sensory, physical, and/or cognitive impairments, self-regulate their driving behavior in ways that restrict their travel patterns. ...
Become an O’Reilly member and get unlimited access to this title plus top books and audiobooks from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers, thousands of courses curated by job role, 150+ live events each month,
and much more.
Read now
Unlock full access