Toward Designing Autonomous Shared Rides for People with Parkinson’s Disease: Barriers and User Needs Analysis

This study aims to support the inclusive design of autonomous shared rides (ASR) by identifying gaps related to efficient trips and human-machine interaction, specifically for people with Parkinson’s disease (PwPD). In-person interviews were conducted with 20 PwPD, aimed to understand PwPD’s travel experiences, potential user barriers, and needs with regard to an ASR service. During the interview, participants watched short video clips describing five trip segments (proposed by a U.S. Department of Transportation report) of an ASR trip (scenario animations) and responded to questions about these scenarios. Both qualitative (opinions) and quantitative (ranking/rating) data were collected. Results of the Friedman test indicated significant differences in PwPD’s rankings of various travel barriers. Safety and lack of customer service were among the top concerns for PwPD. Qualitative analysis of the interview data further suggested that PwPDs were mainly concerned with the following aspects of ASR: safety (ASR reliability and operation), availability and quality of real-person online customer service and human assistance, user-friendly technology with clear instructions , and accessibility for PwPD with varying levels of mobility, the capability of ASR to deal with emergency situations , and the assistance provided for finding seats and using seat belts . Overall, most PwPD participants ranked safety concern, lack of travel support/customer service , and technology issues as the top three travel barriers for ASR. Among the five trip segments (booking, identification, onboarding, traveling, and exiting), booking was perceived as the most anxiety-provoking segment. These unique data and findings have identified user barriers and needs for ASR, which can guide the design and implementation of future technical solutions to address a broader range of use groups.