Dr. Sherrilene Classen and collaborators Dr. Vandeweerd, Dr. Stetten, Isabelle Wandenkolk and our Industry partner Mark Reid, have been awarded an Office of Rural Health grant to ascertain, statewide in five Florida counties, the Veteran needs, perceptions, challenges, and opportunities inherent to the use of autonomous shuttles.
The team will:
- synopsize the Veteran perspectives on accepting and adopting the autonomous shuttle,
- identify needs and barriers of autonomous shuttles,
- formulate Veteran-centric recommendations, and
- make policy recommendations to Veteran Transportation Service, Veteran Transportation Policy, city planners, and the Florida Department of Transportation.
This information is critical for ensuring optimal societal integration of mobility vulnerable Veterans—and equally important for the future planning of Veteran Transportation in the VA, given the societal trend of the U.S. transitioning to automated vehicles.
