The AutoTRUST project aims to develop and demonstrate a novel AI-leveraged self-adaptive framework of advanced vehicle technologies and solutions which optimize usability, perception, and experience on-board, and when boarding/off-boarding, in terms of security, privacy, well-being, health and assistance. AutoTRUST provides enhanced inclusiveness and trust in the interaction between users and new automated modes of road transport and mobility services in the transition from human-driven to automated vehicles. Safety and security of vehicle occupants in all circumstances even when the vehicle is driverless by helping to prevent dangerous and inconvenient situations will be of paramount importance. Intense cooperation between users, vehicle manufacturers, suppliers, researchers, and other stakeholders to co-design vehicles with solutions that optimize the on-board experience will be adopted. Moreover, an in-depth knowledge of the benefits of new vehicle technologies and solutions in terms of on-board experience, accessibility, inclusiveness, and trust will be acquired to enable wider user acceptability and contribute to the creation of future standards.

AVENUE aims to design and carry out full scale demonstrations of urban transport automation by deploying, for the first time worldwide, fleets of autonomous mini-buses in low to medium demand areas of 4 European demonstrator cities: Geneva, Lyon, Copenhagen and Luxembourg, and 3 replicator cities. AVENUE revisits the offered public transportation services, starting from the original problem, which is to allow passengers to move from one place to another. It takes into account their special needs and time constrains, instead of trying to accommodate autonomous vehicles to the existing solutions of pre-scheduled bus itineraries. In this context, AVENUE introduces disruptive public transportation paradigms led by SMEs on the basis of door2door services and the nascent concept of the ‘Mobility Cloud’ aiming in setting up a new model of public transportation. This model enables safe, efficient, on-demand and emission free personalised public transportation, available anytime and anywhere, blending conventional public transport with novel service models such these of the sharing economy. The project partners will apply cutting edge technologies and I2V, V2I & V2V communications that will allow a twofold increase of the average vehicle speed and a tenfold increase in the range served by autonomous vehicles. A set of corresponding in- and out-of-vehicle services that substantially enhance road safety, the overall quality of the service and the value added to the passenger will be introduced, targeting also elderly people, people with disabilities and vulnerable users. AVENUE draws and builds upon the accumulated experience from its consortium of 16 partners from 7 European countries, and the operation of Navya’s 65 mini-buses in 22 cities from 13 countries in 4 continents that already demonstrate reliable and safe operation at pilot sites by transporting over 180,000 passengers. The project activities are organised in 10 workpackages that are implemented within 4 years.