Older adults have positive opinions of self-driving shuttles, study finds
After given the opportunity to ride in an AV shuttle, older adults expressed trust in the technology and willingness to use AV transportation.
After given the opportunity to ride in an AV shuttle, older adults expressed trust in the technology and willingness to use AV transportation.
Dr. Sherrilene Classen will lead two six-hour pre-conference institutes on March 20 as part of the American Occupational Therapy Association, or AOTA, INSPIRE 2024 Annual Conference & Expo in Orlando, Florida.
A team led by Dr. Sherrilene Classen finds that exposure to autonomous shuttles contributes to positive perceptions among people with disabilities.
To drive or not to drive? That is the question confronting many people as they age, especially those who live in southern states like Florida, where a car-centric culture makes it more difficult to get around when one can’t, won’t, or is unable to continue driving.
OT researchers and partners have launched a new study to understand older adults’ perceptions and experiences with an autonomous shuttle.
OT researchers and partners have launched a new study to understand older adults’ perceptions and experiences with an autonomous shuttle.
During a session on “Accelerating Innovation Through Diversity of Thought” at XPONENTIAL 2022, attendees discussed how diversity and inclusiveness impact the uncrewed systems community, the technology we design, and how our systems integrate into society. Sherrilene Classen, Professor and Chair, University of Florida, Department of Occupational Therapy, presented her research findings on how autonomous vehicles can be designed to support populations with limited mobility and how uncrewed systems can be equitably integrated into society.
The deployment of autonomous vehicle (AV) technologies may hold important health and safety benefits for drivers across the driving lifespan. However, such benefits can materialize only if transportation users are willing to embrace the emerging technologies. Earlier studies document a wide variance in acceptance practices, based solely on surveys of drivers. This research used a combined approach of surveys and lived experiences of drivers engaging with AV technologies to examine technology acceptance and adoption of AV technologies. The webinar summarizes findings from the analysis of younger and middle-aged drivers’ perceptions of AVs before and after a) “driving” an interactive high-fidelity RTI driving simulator, in Level 4 autonomous mode, and b) riding in an autonomous shuttle (AS). Moreover, it discusses predictive models of facilitators and barriers for AV acceptance built from data collected from younger and middle-aged drivers (N=106) and older drivers (N=104). The findings reveal important foundational information about driver acceptance, their intention to use AVs, barriers to AV technology, and well-being related to AV technology across the driving lifespan.
The grant has the goal to determine older adults’ perceptions before and after exposure to autonomous ride sharing services. The information is critical for informing education, practice, and policy initiatives pertaining to facilitators and challenges for autonomous ride sharing services.
Older adults will tell you that losing their driving license is like getting a death sentence. In her unstoppable journey to empower seniors, Dr. Sherrilene Classen, a professor and chair of the Department of Occupational Therapy in the UF College of Public Health and Health Professions, is getting older adults comfortable with autonomous vehicle technology as well as conducting research to develop autonomous transit resources to promote their independence and safety.