Jul 6, 2023
AustriaTech opened its event series with the EU project SHOW on 30.6.2023 with the first of three test days on automated driving in Austria. During these events, interested participants can explore the Austrian pilot sites of SHOW in Graz, Koppl and Pörtschach and experience automated driving first-hand.
As part of the European SHOW research project, automated mobility solutions were integrated into public transport in order to embed innovative technologies efficiently and safely into the mobility system. On the first test day, participants already had the opportunity to try out and test these innovative approaches.
On 30.6.2023, the first day of the event series "supertester" of the EU project SHOW took place in Graz Puntigam. 21 super testers traveled to the traffic hub Graz Puntigam. After an introduction to the project, an overview of the day's activities, and a technical presentation of the vehicles, it was time to try them out: On the pilot site in Graz, two vehicles - a Ford Fusion hybrid as well as a Kia e-Soul - run between Center West and the Puntigam local traffic hub. The route, which is about 2km long, includes three stops that can be selected via tablet.
The aim of the test was also to find out how suitable this automated driving service is for everyday use and how high its acceptance would be. Each super tester completed two test drives. During the first round, participants were able to gain a first impression of the pilot site and learn about the new technologies. The second test drive was particularly challenging, as the participants were asked to imagine that there was no safety driver in the vehicle and that no help or support was available.
During the second ride, the testers should ask themselves the following questions:
In addition to the test drives, participants had the opportunity to learn about V2X (vehicle-to-everything) and C-ITS technology - how communication between vehicles and infrastructure works - during a technical presentation by Virtual Vehicle. A workshop was then held in the afternoon, where the supertesters were divided into four groups to discuss questions about their individual challenges as well as general experiences with aspects such as vehicle speed, acceleration, braking and commercial use of the service. After a presentation of the main points for each group, the challenges were prioritized and the following points were identified as particularly significant:
The results of the first day of the event series already provided valuable insights into the vehicles in use, the service and, in particular, the needs of specific groups of people. The participants emphasized the importance of barrier-free accessibility and the need for visual and auditory assistance.
