Remembering the Future

In March 2024, Jakub Mlynář, Benjamin Nanchen, and Luisa Ehrenzeller from the HES-SO Valais-Wallis began a one-year research project entitled "Remembering the Future: A Study of Work in Street Trials of Driverless Buses". They visited Schaffhausen on 12 June. The study, funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (Spark programme), focuses on past and current pilot projects with automated public transport in Switzerland, including lines 12 and 13 of the Swiss Transit Lab. The project is also supported by the Swiss Association for Autonomous Mobility (SAAM).

The aim of the project is to analyse the implicit knowledge and practical experience of those who operated and maintained the self-driving buses during the operation of projects such as STL Line 13. Through interviews with safety drivers, technicians, and others involved, the research group sheds light on the everyday aspects and effects of autonomous mobility. The study is novel in that it goes beyond the mostly technical knowledge gained and offers new insights into the social impact of automated technologies.