Cognitive intelligence of highly automated vehicles in a car-sharing context

Abstract

Shared mobility can fundamentally change road transport and improve life quality. Car-sharing services have reached a high level of growth worldwide and members adopting them as an alternative transportation mode are constantly on the increase. The advent of highly automated vehicles could boost the adoption of car sharing as more inexpensive and convenient on-demand services could be achieved. In recent years, vehicle automation is facilitated and supported by the latest advances in information and communication technologies, forming the cornerstone of the new generation of In-Vehicle Intelligent Systems. The goal of this study is to introduce a novel in-vehicle cognitive framework that utilises (i) driver's/user's profile data and personal preferences, (ii) real-time information associated with the vehicle's driving environment, and (iii) previous knowledge and experience, in proposing adaptations of the vehicle's level of autonomy, in an automated manner, when a driver/user wishes to make a road journey within the automated vehicle sharing context. Knowledge is obtained through the exploitation of Bayesian networking principles. Indicative results on the performance of the proposed cognitive mechanism and the associated knowledge-based selection scheme are presented, mostly with regards to proactively identifying the optimum level of autonomy to be implemented.