Cypriots among most positive in Europe regarding Autonomous Vehicles
According to the findings of a pan-European survey analysed as part of a COST Action Workshop hosted at the University of Nicosia
The University of Nicosia hosted a two-day workshop on 14 and 15 September on “User Preferences about Autonomous and Connected Transport”. The workshop is part of a series of workshops undertaken under the “Wider Impacts and Scenario Evaluation of Autonomous and Connected Transport” (WISE-ACT) network.
WISE-ACT is a European-wide network comprising experts from academia and industry with participation from 37 countries, funded under the COST programme. More generally, COST provides networking opportunities for researchers and innovators, to strengthen Europe’s capacity to address scientific, technological, and societal challenges. In line with this, the WISE-ACT Action examines technological developments in the field of autonomous and connected transport, exploring the wider impacts of this emerging technology on the societies that will adopt it.
The workshop followed a hybrid participation model, with both online and in-person participants. The agenda included a holistic review of the latest developments in the research areas relating to autonomous and connected vehicles, focusing also on how these affect the perspective of potential users. Extensive reference was made to the findings of a pan-European public opinion survey on autonomous and connected vehicles, conducted by the WISE-ACT network. The survey findings, as well as the models employed, will soon be published in reputable academic journals, in order to better communicate the level of acceptance of autonomous vehicles in different European country to the research community.
The workshop was followed by a WISE-ACT steering committee meeting, to map out the network’s next workshops, seminars, and actions over the coming six months.
The workshop was organised by Dr. Stelios Neophytou, Associate Professor in the Department of Engineering of the University of Nicosia, who is one of two Cypriot representatives in the WISE-ACT steering committee. According to Dr. Neophytou, the meeting dealt with a wide range of issues surrounding this emerging topic of global interest. He found the results on Cyprus to be particularly encouraging. More specifically, respondents in Cyprus and Iceland recorded an overwhelmingly positive view of the technologies that are purported to be integrated in the vehicles of the future, especially as relates to their capability for autonomous operation. “Cypriots seem to be among the European citizens who are more accepting of the presence of autonomous vehicles in their society”, noted Dr. Neophytou. “This ties in to the existing public transport infrastructure, while it is indicative of a rapidly developing culture of acceptance of new technologies in our country”, he concluded.
The workshop was attended by more than 45 experts from the countries participating in the Action.