Promoting Inclusive Design and Deployment of Connected and Automated Vehicles for Older Adults Through Education of Engineering Students.

Abstract

The development of connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) holds promise for reducing traffic crashes and maintaining mobility among older adults. Challenges remain, however, in ensuring that CAVs are accessible, acceptable, affordable, and otherwise inclusive for older adults. The objective of this project was to increase graduate students’ awareness of and sensitivity to these issues, using a framework of experiential learning. The project provided an opportunity for University of Michigan (U-M) students enrolled in a graduate course on human-centered design and engineering to be involved in all four aspects of experiential learning – exploring, engaging, reflecting, and communicating – to meet the project objective. The project involved several primary tasks: 1) completion of a research synthesis on older adults and CAVs by the project team; 2) discussions between the project team and older adults themselves (termed community engagement); 3) presentations by the project team to students in the class on the project background, findings from the research synthesis and community engagement, and an industry perspective on older adults and CAVs; 4) implementation of student classroom projects on older adults and CAVs as part of their regular course curriculum; 5) development of posters by the students highlighting their classroom projects; 6) presentation of the posters by the students in a formal poster session at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute targeted to U-M faculty and staff, representatives from industry, and other undergraduate and graduate students; 7) evaluation through pre- and post-surveys of students to measure changes in knowledge about older adults and CAVs; and 8) development of a set of recommendations for future efforts to train and educate students in this area, as well as the design and deployment of CAVs themselves. Findings are discussed for each of these tasks.