A Wizard-of-Oz Shuttle as an Experimental Platform for Research on Future Automated Public Transport

Automated public shuttles have the potential to improve road safety, transport accessibility, and passenger experience. However, before such systems can be widely deployed, their sensing, interaction, monitoring, and assistance functions must be systematically designed and evaluated under realistic operating conditions. This paper introduces a platform for automated user-centred local mobility analysis (PAULA), a Wizard-of-Oz (WoZ) shuttle developed as a flexible experimental platform for research on future automated public transport. In the proposed approach, the dynamic driving task is performed by a concealed human driver, while the passenger monitoring, environmental perception, and interaction functions under investigation are implemented through the platform’s sensors, algorithms, and interfaces. The platform is implemented in a shuttle with nine passenger seats and integrates multiple sensors and human-machine interfaces (HMIs) for monitoring the vehicle interior and its surroundings, collecting behavioral and contextual data, and interacting with passengers and nearby road users. The developed platform has been applied in studies addressing passenger monitoring and social interactions inside the shuttle. Its modular architecture enables researchers to investigate different concepts and functions without requiring a fully automated vehicle. The WoZ shuttle therefore provides a practical test environment for developing and evaluating sensor-based assistance systems, optimizing public transport functions, and studying factors that influence the safety, acceptance, and experience of users of future automated public transport.