Decision Support System to Guide Use-Centric Cooperative, Connected and Automated Mobility Deployments: The SINFONICA Knowledge Map Explorer

The work presented is part of the SINFONICA project, funded by the EU, which aims to develop effective and innovative strategies, methods, and tools to engage users, providers, and stakeholders within the Cooperative, Connected, and Automated Mobility (CCAM) ecosystem. This includes citizens, particularly vulnerable users, transport operators, public administrations, service providers, researchers, and vehicle and technology suppliers. The objective is to systematically gather, understand, and organize their needs, desires, and concerns regarding CCAM in a way that is both manageable and actionable. SINFONICA will collaboratively create decision support tools, including the Knowledge Map Explorer (KME), specifically designed for designers and policymakers to facilitate the seamless and sustainable deployment of CCAM, ensuring inclusivity and equity for all citizens. This paper details the design, development, and architectural specifications of the SINFONICA KME, a tool that synthesizes and presents essential knowledge for CCAM solutions. The proposed tool utilizes an ontological structure that captures interactions and dependencies within the SINFONICA domain. The ontological framework is populated with data from interviews, focus groups, and workshops conducted in four different European contexts. For the SINFONICA project needs, the Protégé tool, an open-source ontology editor and knowledge management system, is employed. The transformation of structured data, like spreadsheets, into an ontology is streamlined using Cellfie, a tool within Protégé, facilitating the visualization and management of complex information. The tool is informed by data on user needs, preferences, concerns, and challenges, playing a crucial role in linking CCAM deployers, stakeholders, and users with tailored insights. The Knowledge Map Explorer acts as an intelligent navigation system, offering stakeholders specialized guidance on implementing CCAM solutions based on user type, context, and scenario. It leverages ontologies and expert-driven mapping, using tools like the Web Ontology Language (OWL) for structured representation. By employing a dual-system architecture—the Semantic-Based System and the Rule-Based System—this work specifies how the Knowledge Map Explorer will recommend best practices in CCAM based on explicit and inferred knowledge. The tool provides stakeholders with accessible, domain-specific insights, supporting the development of inclusive CCAM technologies. The system architecture specification translates the SINFONICA conceptual framework into a practical implementation plan. It specifies the technological components, integration strategies, and configuration settings required to achieve the objectives of the KME. Detailed in the document, the development of the backend system begins with a requirement analysis and specifications to identify core functionalities based on end-users' needs and user stories. Following this, the development of the Semantic-Based System is explained, and the implementation of the Rule-Based System is showcased, illustrating how predefined rules govern system behavior. Finally, the integration of the components is discussed, demonstrating how the semantic and rule-based systems are cohesively combined to deliver a unified solution that meets the specified requirements.