The choice behaviour of users of crowdsensing applications, the effects of eHMIs when interacting with self-driving cars and the changed attitude of the Dutchman towards flying.

These are the topics of the three theses selected for the biennial Cuperus Prize. This prize for the best scientific thesis 'on passenger or freight transport by rail, road and water' is an initiative of KIVI, CROW and Royal HaskoningDHV. The first, second and incentive prizes will be awarded by jury chairman Erik Verroen of the KIVI Traffic and Transport Section at the National Traffic Science Congress 2022 on 2 November.

The nominated studies were conducted by Shiva Nischal Lingam, Sophie Buteyn and Mirjam van den Boogert at TU Delft.

Crowdsensing user choice behaviour

Mirjam van den Boogert conducted research on how crowdsensing applications can be designed in a way that privacy and trust among users are respected. The aim of her research was to find out which factors influence the choice behaviour of users of crowdsensing applications and thus explain willingness to participate. Five factors were selected that may influence users' willingness to share data: financial compensation, effort required, re-identification, types of data and use of data. Next, 125 relevant responses were collected via an online survey. From these, user effort required emerged as the main factor influencing willingness to share data. Almost half of the respondents said they were concerned about their privacy. Crowdsensing applications should be more customised, allowing users to specify what data they do and do not want to share. It is also important that it is clear to the user why the data is being collected. This research helps organisations collecting data in the field of smart mobility make ethical choices regarding privacy and trust among users.

Effects of eHMIs on self-driving cars

With the advent of the self-driving car on public roads, communication with other road users will shift from traditional eye contact or hand movements to human-machine interaction. Shiva Nischal Lingam investigated the potential of using 'external Human Machine Interfaces'(eHMis) in interactions with self-driving cars, specifically at T-junctions. With an eHMi, an explicit message is presented on the outside of the self-driving car. The 46 participants were able to experience two different eHMIs via a simulator. The eHMIs had a positive effect on participants in terms of confidence and acceptance. People used the brake pedal less and it increased acceptance for self-driving vehicles.

How do the Dutch view flying?

Sophie Buteyn investigated to what extent attitudes towards air travel have changed in recent years and what factors contribute to this. The study shows that attitudes towards flying have definitely changed, partly due to a better knowledge of the world of flying. The participants could be divided into three segments: those with an environmentally conscious view of flying, those with a more independent view and those with a less obvious view of air travel. This study is a first exploration of how attitudes towards flying among a group of Dutch people have changed in recent years. It provides suggestions for policymakers focusing on behavioural change in society and how to encourage it.

Cuperus

The Cuperus Prizes are named after Prof J.L.A. Cuperus (1896 - 1975), who began his career in 1919 with the Dutch Railways and finished as director of the Railway Construction Company in 1960. His involvement in education was great. At Delft University of Technology, as extraordinary professor of Railway Engineering (1958-1966), he left his mark on the education of civil engineers and stood at the cradle of the degrees in Traffic Engineering and Civil Planning.

The theses

You can read the nominated theses here:
The choice behaviour of the crowdsensing user - Mirjam van den Boogert: https://repository.tudelft.nl/islandora/object/uuid%3A1bfe8c73-30f9-4a83-93c6-07bd0521a25c?collection=education

Effects of eHMIs on self-driving cars- Nischal Lingam: https://repository.tudelft.nl/islandora/object/uuid%3Ad5fc3d7e-7d6e-467b-a797-11b33a534117?collection=education

How do the Dutch view flying? by Sophie Buteyn: https://repository.tudelft.nl/islandora/object/uuid:6831b7b9-e2ab-4535-84e2-9093c8a7ba14/datastream/OBJ/download

Attend

You can attend the award ceremony by registering here for the National Traffic Science Congress on 2 and 3 November 2022