Community research on highly automated driving

Transurban conducts market research to better understand community attitudes to CAVs.

One of the aspects of the research program involves understanding how community perceptions change through education and first-hand experience.

To do this we provided community members two different opportunities to travel in a development vehicle with highly automated driving capability. This vehicle has capabilities which are more advanced than existing production cars on the market.

In late 2017 we invited eight community research participants to travel in the prototype Bosch TAC vehicle at Albert Park Lake. Participants were interviewed on camera before, during and after their ride in the vehicle, to capture their reactions and feedback. Participants commented they were excited about the opportunities this technology could bring and interested to find out how it will develop over time and integrate into the community. 

There were some common shifts in perceptions and attitudes among research participants.

• The technology is further along than I realized.
• It’s so new and different – but it feels incredibly normal.
• Feels safer than I thought it would.
• It feels inevitable that it won’t be long before these vehicles are on our roads.

See this video about community reaction to a trip in the Bosch TAC vehicle around Albert Park Lake.

In May 2018 we invited four community research participants to travel in the development Bosch TAC vehicle on CityLink from the tunnels to Toorak Road and back. Again participants were interviewed on camera before, during and after their ride in the vehicle, to capture their reactions and feedback.

See this video about the Bosch TAC vehicle on CityLink.