ITAS investigates automated vehicles in everyday use

In Furttal, Switzerland, people can experience autonomous mobility in real-world conditions. Researchers from ITAS accompany the real-world lab to find out under what conditions certain groups of people would use the service in regular operation.
modernes E-Fahrzeug nahe Bushaltestelle, im Hintergrund Bus Swiss Transit Lab
The first vehiclesare already up and running in the Furttal region – currently still operating with an onboard supervisor and without passengers.

Do you have access to the means of transport you need in your daily life? Would you be interested in using automated shuttles that could complement local public transport in the future? Or do your concerns – such as a lack of control or questions about how your data is used – outweigh the benefits? ITAS is currently asking some 18,000 residents of the Furttal region in the Swiss canton of Zurich for their answers.

Automated mobility to complement the existing transport system

The large-scale public survey is part of the accompanying research for the “iamo – intelligent automated mobility” project in which the Swiss Transit Lab is currently testing an automated mobility service under real-world conditions on behalf of Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) and two cantons. “Unlike in traditional pilot projects, the vehicles are operating on public roads throughout an entire region,” explains Tim Fraske, project leader at ITAS. This creates a real-world lab in which automated mobility can be experienced in everyday settings and as part of the existing transport system.  The service is initially being rolled out with passenger cars and will be expanded to include larger shuttles over the course of the project.

In addition to ITAS, the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) is also participating in the accompanying research which is scheduled for several years. The partners are deliberately focusing not primarily on the technology itself but rather on its social context and the prerequisites for successful routine operation: How is the service perceived? Who uses it – and who doesn’t? What role do safety, trust, and the design of the service play in actual usage and in changes to mobility behavior?

Long-term perspective on changes in mobility behavior

To this end, the researchers combine several large-scale population surveys with expert and stakeholder interviews, including representatives from transport companies, municipal administrations, operator organizations, and civil society. “This allows us to analyze changes in mobility behavior as well persisting barriers and prerequisites for the use of automated mobility services over a longer period of time,” explains Tim Fraske. The results of this “long-term perspective” will be used continuously throughout the project to further develop theservice. At the same time, the researchers hope to gain important insights for similar real-world labs on mobility innovations, particularly in Germany. (26.03.2026)

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