Touchpoints and systems for unmanned autonomous urban ferry operation

Abstract

Currently, both experimental and commercial autonomous ferry services have a safety operator onboard who monitors the ferry systems, takes care of the passengers' safety, and gives them the necessary information. Service touchpoints are all the interaction points between the autonomous ferry and the passengers throughout the passenger journey, from planning the trip to reaching their destination. To reach a state where the ferry service can be unmanned, by moving the safety operator into a remote operation centre, several additional systems and service touchpoints are needed to support the passengers' safety and provide them with necessary information.

This article discusses (1) the service touchpoints and systems needed for an autonomous urban ferry service, (2) how these touchpoints provide the passengers with the necessary information to foster trust and perceived safety, and (3) shows some examples and design suggestions for the experimental autonomous urban ferry milliAmpere2.

The service touchpoints presented are (1) a ticket system, (2) an automatic ferry ordering system for on-demand operation, (3) an automatic passenger handling system for safe boarding of the ferry, (4) a passenger information system to provide visual and audio feedback about the ferry service, and (5) a passenger-operator communication system in case contact between the ferry and the remote operation centre need to be established.