# Exploring the Evolution of Autonomous Vehicle Acceptance through Hands-On Demonstrations
## 5 Conclusions and Future Work  
This article explores the evolution of autonomous vehicle acceptance by examining two different user groups. The first group comprises \"current users\" of the technology, individuals who have had the opportunity to test the ATLAS autonomous vehicle during demonstrations conducted by CESVIMAP, UC3M, and UPM. The second group consists of \"potential future users\", a sizable cohort connected to the automotive sector who have not yet experienced being driven by a vehicle with autonomous capabilities. The study has been conducted after identifying a weakness in the current state of the art concerning AV acceptance. Usually, autonomous driving surveys are not incorporated as part of demonstrations or exhibitions in which people can get into a fully autonomous vehicle and experience it, in order to have a more realistic image of this type of technology. Hence, studying how people's expectations and opinions change after this experience may shed some light on how to accelerate the acceptance of such a delicate technology as autonomous vehicles. The results presented in this study prove that the acceptance of the autonomous vehicle is in the majority. However, a significant proportion of potential future users still express discomfort with the idea of traveling in or between autonomous vehicles. Nevertheless, as it has been observed and presented in this paper, it is anticipated that these users will gain confidence in autonomous vehicles as the technology becomes more popular and, consequently, they have the opportunity to test them and become familiar with them. Furthermore, the results presented in this study suggest that the first step towards autonomous mobility may come through the introduction of small parcel delivery robots in our cities. Regarding auto insurance, the study conducted in this paper suggests that the public expects autonomous vehicles to still require insurance coverage. Simultaneously, it indicates that there is an anticipation of a reduction in insurance rates due to the potential decrease in accidents and insurance claims resulting from the adoption of autonomous vehicles. Nevertheless, it appears that the general public does not consider (or is not aware of) the substantial costs associated with the on-board systems of autonomous vehicles. The emphasis of the study presented lies on the positive evolution of user acceptance following a first-hand encounter with an autonomous vehicle. It highlights the importance of bridging the gap between this technology and end users through practical demonstrations to enhance public acceptance. The implications of this finding suggest that maximizing direct autonomous car-human interaction reduces peoples' wariness of this technology and accelerates its introduction into society. Consequently, the study strives to encourage other autonomous vehicles' developers to actively engage in dissemination efforts, familiarizing people with the revolution in mobility that is autonomous driving, so that it is embraced as it is, a tool that makes transportation less burdensome and dangerous. Nevertheless, this study, although complete and able to extract interesting insights into user acceptance, has certain limitations that should be acknowledged and addressed in future iterations of the research. While the survey conducted among automotive experts with no real experience with AVs managed to reach 629 respondents, the survey with testers of the autonomous car ATLAS only garnered 27 respondents. This significant difference in numbers poses challenges for extracting descriptive statistics and makes comparisons difficult. However, it is crucial to consider that the survey conducted during real demonstrations requires a much greater deployment of resources than the online survey for future users. It involves preparing ATLAS, ensuring safety, closing streets with the assistance of local authorities, and convincing non-experts to test these vehicles, limiting the number of people who can be interviewed at a demonstration.