# Light It Up: Boarding for Automated Low-Capacity Shuttles through Ambient Visual Cues
###### Abstract  
Once public transport is fully automated, human operators will no longer be needed for tasks like manoeuvring, paying, and boarding. Interfaces must evolve to cover the entire interaction chain from booking to boarding. We present a user-centred design of a mobile-based booking application and an LED-based boarding interface for automated shuttles. Our approach included comprehensive requirements and feasibility analyses to ensure technical viability and user satisfaction. Laboratory study results highlight the advantages and challenges of the boarding interface, underscoring the importance of early user requirements and feasibility assessments in designing automated shuttle systems.  
user-centred design; user studies; automated shuttles; prototyping; booking application; boarding application; capacity management +
Footnote †: journal:  
There are existing solutions for some of these challenges, as seen in other transport services. Uber ([[https://www.uber.com](https://www.uber.com)]([https://www.uber.com](https://www.uber.com)) (accessed on 18 April 2023)) and Lyft ([[https://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/lyft-amp/](https://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/lyft-amp/)]([https://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/lyft-amp/](https://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/lyft-amp/)) (accessed on 22 August 2023)) display car models of booked vehicles in their apps, with Lyft using coloured ambient lights for easy vehicle identification. Certain railways provide a \"relax or comfort check-in\" option ([[https://www.bahn.com/en/booking-information/komfortcheckin](https://www.bahn.com/en/booking-information/komfortcheckin)]([https://www.bahn.com/en/booking-information/komfortcheckin](https://www.bahn.com/en/booking-information/komfortcheckin)) (accessed on 22 August 2023)), ([[https://westbahn.at/en/checkin/](https://westbahn.at/en/checkin/)]([https://westbahn.at/en/checkin/](https://westbahn.at/en/checkin/)) (accessed on 22 August 2023)) for seat selection and ticket validation. Passengers can board and scan the chosen seat via an app for ticket validation, but this relies on the availability of seats in the vehicle. These innovations address critical questions in the boarding procedure, such as how the passenger finds the right shuttle, how the ticket is validated, and how a passenger finds the right seat. Implementing similar strategies in automated low-capacity shuttles could significantly enhance capacity management and overall user experience.  
In our work, we address the problems of booking, boarding and capacity management in automated low capacity shuttles with no driver or conductor onboard. We designed and prototyped a solution that includes a booking and boarding system for such shuttles. We evaluated the system in a lab study (N = 27) using experience prototyping methods [12; 13] with respect to usability and user experience (UX) factors. Based on the results we derived requirements for capacity management in driverless low-capacity shuttles. Specifically, we focused on the following research questions:  
* RQ1: what additional information or interactions are needed when using an automated low-capacity shuttle (six to twelve seats), as opposed to using manually operated, high-capacity means of transport during boarding?
* RQ2: what is the usability and user experience of a capacity management solution consisting of a visual in-shuttle support interface and mobile booking application with additional seat management capabilities?
* RQ3: what recommendations can be derived for the design of a booking and boarding systems for fully automated, driverless low-capacity shuttles?  
Our contribution to HCI is twofold: We present the design and prototypical implementation of a colour-based, ambient light booking and boarding interface. Additionally, we provide user requirements for booking and boarding driverless low-capacity shuttles with a focus on capacity management.