Autonomous passenger ferries across the world
Zeabus gets financial support for design for accessibility
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We already have self-driving cars; earlier this year, the first driverless buses hit Norwegian roads. So why not uncrewed passenger ferries too? Zeabus, a developer of autonomous marine operations and systems in Trondheim, Norway, is developing such ferries. We at EGGS are their proud partner in design.
Electric and self-propelled ferries for cities
As many as 4.4 billion people live in cities. The Norwegian technology company Zeabus sees enormous potential in building networks of small, self-propelled electric boats that can quickly transport people across bodies of water in cities and densely populated areas. With more accessible travel across the water, the use of cars in cities is falling.
Financial support for inclusive design
As these are new and uncharted waters and the ferries are intended for all city citizens, Zeabus has received financial support for inclusive design from DOGA. We at EGGS will use the full breadth of our professional expertise: from product and service design to interaction design and system-oriented design. Our focus will be on interviewing potential users with different needs. In addition, we will be obtaining relevant insight from local authorities. The insight will provide valuable direction for the project.
Designing for trust and safety
Several questions must be answered: How to ensure a good user experience and passenger flow regardless of age, language, and functional ability? How should the uncrewed boats communicate what it is doing and is about to do to passengers and the environment in universally understandable ways? And what does it take for most people to feel comfortable and safe when setting sail without a captain at the helm?
