Published Works
I completed my PhD at Chalmers University of Technology on the Societal Readiness Index for Shared Autonomy, a Vinnova-funded project for developing a framework evaluating the social impact of dynamic ridepooling and strategies for moving towards shared, autonomous public transport. Dr. MariAnne Karlsson and Dr. Helena Strömberg were my supervisors.
This paper examines how positive incentives can influence travel behavior, focusing on the European EMPOWER project, which aims to reduce the use of conventionally fuelled vehicles by rewarding sustainable transport choices. It describes experiments in Sweden that used the SMARTiSverige smartphone app to collect travel data, deliver personalized challenges, track points, and provide digital and physical rewards to participants. The study outlines how the system was expanded from a Living Lab in Gothenburg to other cities, reports the results of the two-step experiment, and discusses how these findings contribute to research on incentives and can support the future scaling of reward-based systems that encourage greener travel habits.
The S3 project focuses on testing shared, electrified, and automated shuttle buses to demonstrate how these new transport solutions can stimulate and support urban densification. Within the project, urban planners, industry partners, academia, and the public sector have come together to jointly design and test new mobility concepts for the first and last mile of travel. This report describes the first phase of the project, from May 2017 to December 2019, during which the shuttle buses were tested at Lindholmen Science Park, Chalmers Johanneberg campus, and in Härryda town center. To strengthen the project, additional work has been carried out on complementary mobility services, open innovation, evaluation, business models, a roadmap, cloud infrastructure, and event and communication activities linked to the initiative.
The study explored factors influencing people’s willingness to share rides in autonomous vehicle (AV) services. Using focus groups from Transport for NSW’s 2017 shared transport trials, researchers identified six key factors: cost, comfort, convenience, safety, community culture, and trust in authority. Participants showed strong anxiety about sharing driverless rides, mainly due to concerns about co-passengers. The study emphasizes that psychological and social barriers must be addressed to improve acceptance of shared AVs.
Research shows that the environmental and mobility benefits of autonomous vehicles (AVs) depend on people using shared rides, or dynamic ridepooling. For shared AVs (SAVs) to work, users must feel comfortable sharing a driverless space with strangers—yet most studies focus on traffic or technology, not social acceptance. Understanding what motivates people to share these spaces is essential for designing effective, user-centered SAV services. Study 1 explores this by conducting four focus groups in New South Wales, Australia, with active users of on-demand transport or commercial ridepooling to identify factors that influence willingness to share a driverless vehicle.
Research shows that the environmental and mobility benefits of autonomous vehicles (AVs) depend on people using shared rides, or dynamic ridepooling. For shared AVs (SAVs) to work, users must feel comfortable sharing a driverless space with strangers—yet most studies focus on traffic or technology, not social acceptance. Understanding what motivates people to share these spaces is essential for designing effective, user-centered SAV services. Study 1 explores this by conducting four focus groups in New South Wales, Australia, with active users of on-demand transport or commercial ridepooling to identify factors that influence willingness to share a driverless vehicle.
A user acceptance survey was conducted during the first phase of the Shared Shuttle Services (S3) pilot in Gothenburg, Sweden, which tested autonomous electric shuttle buses. These vehicles represent key trends in sustainable transport—electrification, sharing, and automation—aligned with UN SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). The study found generally positive attitudes, though users rated speed and comfort lower. Reluctance to use the shuttles was mainly due to concerns about performance, routes, and effort required.
For more information on current or previous projects, go to the Projects tab or click the link below.
Focus groups in New South Wales revealed strong “sharing anxiety” about riding with strangers in shared autonomous vehicles (SAVs) without a driver, posing a major barrier to public acceptance. Interviews with 13 transport experts showed limited awareness of this issue within the mobility sector. The study recommends policies to reduce sharing anxiety, including promoting dynamic ridepooling, offering tax incentives, standardizing user interfaces across services, and extending pilot periods to normalize shared travel. It also notes COVID-19’s impact on shared mobility and calls for further policy research.
This paper explores how people who have experienced autonomous vehicle (AV) pilots in Sweden perceive shared autonomous vehicles (SAVs), especially within public transport. Using focus groups, the study examines their attitudes, acceptance levels, and willingness to use AVs in shared mobility settings. The findings offer insights into user preferences and can guide efforts to promote SAVs and integrate them into Sweden’s public transport system.
This PhD explores factors influencing the implementation of shared autonomous vehicles (SAVs) in public transport. It focuses on societal readiness and distinguishes SAVs from private AVs. Conducted as an industrial PhD, it examines the interplay between technology acceptance and societal adaptation in deploying SAVs.
This study compares how experts in Sweden and New South Wales view Shared Autonomous Vehicles (SAVs) in public transport and shows that societal readiness depends on regulatory contexts, cultural norms, and innovation challenges. Sweden emphasizes collaboration and customer-centered solutions that align mobility behavior with environmental goals, while Australia’s deregulated market relies more on transit authorities to expand mobility options. Across both settings, “sharing anxiety” emerges as a major barrier, so the study recommends promoting ride-pooling, offering incentives for shared mobility, standardizing on-demand transport systems, and extending pilot programs in rural areas to build trust and encourage shared travel habits.
In this paper two contemporary technological novelties are combined to introduce the concept of a blockchain-based MaaS, with the aim of pinpointing where and how business value can be created through data-based services of such a system. Towards this purpose, an integrated version of the Business Model Canvas is deployed, combining the advantages of the Lean Canvas and the Ethics Canvas. The overview of data flows among the versatile system stakeholders are outlined to highlight the potential benefits for diverse industries through sharing and collaboration.
Contact
If you’d like to discuss collaboration, a project idea or guest lecturing, you can reach me at sigmadolins@gmail.com