Users' Seamless Guidance in Shared Automated Mobility On-Demand Through Emoji Companions

Abstract

Future mobility concepts like shared automated mobility on-demand (SAMOD) need to provide high user experience (UX) and service quality along the trip to find acceptance. Without fixed routes and the automated shuttle being shared among travelers, uncertainty along the trip may arise. Although users receive information via respective human-machine interfaces (HMI) (e.g., mobile device and shuttle interior), these do not display it uniformly. From a user-centered perspective, personalizing information with emojis across all these different HMIs may improve recognizability and guidance for travelers along their trip. Therefore, two user studies presented an emoji as companion in two user journey scenarios, i.e., a mobile augmented reality HMI for finding the flexible pick-up location (VR-Study, N = 44) and an on-board shuttle display HMI for riding in the automated shuttle (online study, N = 49). Tagging relevant information with emojis was evaluated regarding UX and led to positive pragmatic and hedonic quality ratings in both cases. Using emojis in the mobility context presents an efficient, anonymous, and accessible way to support users across various HMIs, contributing to positive UX along their trip.