Smart Mobility: Exploring Foundational Technologies and Wider Impacts

Nowadays, we are witnessing several paradigm shifts in mobility systems and services. Cities are decarbonizing the transportation sector and are moving from car-centric mobility to multimodal mobility, from restricted mobility in two-dimensional streets to 3D mobility, from rigid-schedule mobility to mobility on demand and on an as-needed basis, and from fragmented unconnected mobility to seamless integrated mobility. Mobility companies move from the manufacturing and trade economy to the service economy or servitization such as Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) as the neo-liberalization of people and freight transportation and from the unsustainable “number of cars sold”-based revenue model to “vehicle miles traveled (VMT)-based,” infonomics-based data and customer experience monetization and passenger economy-based revenue models. Delivery service providers move from conventional slow, rigid, and nontransparent last-mile delivery to fast, elastic, and transparent last-mile delivery services. People move from ownership to usership and from passive mobility to active and zero-impact mobility. Different foundational technologies, technology enablers, and mobility disruptors are behind these paradigm shifts.

In his book “Profiles of the Future: An Inquiry into the Limits of the Possible”, the English science-fiction writer and inventor Arthur Clarke formulated his famous Three Laws, of which the third law is the best-known and most widely cited: “any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic”.

Connected mobility technology is the magic that creates new data-rich environments and enables many applications and services that will make our roads safer, less congested, and eco-friendlier. Shared mobility, Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) and Mobility on Demand (MoD) are the magic that replaces ownership with usership and establishes a functioning market that is governed largely by supply and demand and creates millions of jobs. Seamless Integrated Mobility Systems (SIMS) is the magic that enables seamless mobility as the neo-liberalization of people and goods transportation. Self-driving technology is the magic that will dramatically reduce injuries and fatalities, improves access to mobility for those who currently cannot drive due to age or disability and opens the doors to passenger economy. 3D mobility is the magic that moves us from restricted mobility in two-dimensional streets that enables only 2-DOF (lateral and longitudinal motion) to 3-DOF mobility (lateral, longitudinal and vertical motion) or more accurately 6-DOF (lateral, longitudinal, vertical, roll, pitch, and yaw) considering the rotational movements of the aerial platform. Zero-emission Hyperloop technology is the magic that will take you from Los Angeles to San Francisco in just 35 minutes instead of 2.5 hours in high-speed rail system or from Toronto to Montreal in just 1 hour instead of more than 5 hours in high-speed train. Electrification is the magic that will enables net zero emission/carbon neutrality and sustainable mobility in the near future.

The future mobility is people-centric, software defined, connected and electric. With people-centric mobility, quality of life in the cities will be improved. Software algorithms play crucial roles in enabling advanced assisted driving and automated driving vehicles, shared mobility services, mobility as a service, mobility on demand and seamless integrated mobility. Automated mobility will reduce injuries and fatalities, improves access to mobility for elderly and physically challenged individuals and will create new business models such as passenger economy. Shared mobility relies on sharing economy business model that replaces ownership by usership. Connected mobility enables different safety and infotainment services like real-time navigation and routing, traffic information, safety warnings, accident avoidance, advanced driver-assistance and automated driving systems. Electrification is a key enabler for decarbonized sustainable mobility.

In spite of recent rapid development, smart mobility is still in its infancy. The widespread and the social acceptance of smart mobility technologies like automated driving will depend not only on the maturity of the technology but also on the availability of a well-developed governance framework and the proper city planning to accommodate these evolving technologies. This means that smart mobility depends on a triad of complementary factors, namely: technology, governance and city planning. The three components of this smart mobility triad are not separate components as they impact each other.

There is a growing need to use different foundational technologies, technology enablers and disruptors to enhance the relationship between customers and mobility providers and to achieve accessible, affordable, and seamless integration between different mobility services. The legal and regulatory environment around several smart mobility technologies need to be well developed taking into consideration opinions and concerns of different stakeholders. Moreover, evolutionary and revolutionary changes in the city planning should be considered to accommodate the emerging services of smart mobility.

My new book entitled “Smart Mobility: Exploring Foundational Technologies and Wider Impacts” gives a holistic view of smart mobility systems and services and covers how the smart mobility triad — technology, governance, and city planning — work together to create a smart and sustainable mobility. The book gives the reader a comprehensive and easy-to-digest introduction to the current and emerging smart mobility systems focusing on foundational technologies, technology enablers, and disruptors that will shape the future of mobility.

Position, Navigation, and Timing (PNT), Geographic Information System (GIS), wireless communication, mobile cloud computing, blockchain, Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), robotics, and electrification are covered as examples of foundational technologies for smart mobility systems and services. The book discusses several technology enablers for smart mobility such as intelligent infrastructure, connected mobility, automated mobility, E-Mobility, micro-mobility, active/soft mobility, inclusive mobility and Context Awareness Systems (CAS). The book also sheds lights on potential smart mobility disruptors such as disruptive mobility platforms (autonomous grounds vehicles, urban air mobility, river taxis, automated people movers, hyperloop and urbanloop), shared mobility, MaaS, MoD, SIMS, last-mile delivery, gig economy and passenger economy. Market size of these technologies, their potential growth and eco-socio-economic implications are highlighted in this book. Impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on consumer behaviors and preferences and the expected short-term disruptions and longer-term structural changes in different aspects of mobility systems specially in micromobility, shared mobility, public transit and contactless last-mile delivery services are also discussed.

Like any other technology, smart mobility technologies have sunny sides and dark sides. Decreased crashes caused by human errors, reduced congestion and emission, improved efficiency, comfort, convenience, affordability and inclusivity, and increased economic advantage due to new business models like sharing economy, gig economy, and passenger economy are examples of the sunny sides of smart mobility. However, some dark sides of the smart mobility technologies need to be properly addressed to achieve the full potential of these technologies. Impacts on employment, privacy, and cybersecurity are among these concerns as explained in the book.

While the book describes many future possibilities, some surprising achievements are already made and publicly used. We all enjoy and rely every day on shared mobility services, connected mobility, e-mobility, active mobility, micromobility, and same-day and instant last-mile delivery services. Moreover, in the not too distant future, we will enjoy safe and entertaining self-driving vehicles (SDVs) as a third living space with consumer-centric products and services; we will be able to use self-driving vehicles as a mobile motel, beauty salon, mobile store, and mobile clinic; we will have our online orders shipped to our doorstep by delivery droids; we will travel safely and conveniently in zero-emission hyperloops, autonomous air taxis, air metro, or autonomous boats; seamless integration between different mobility modes will be the norm; and finally affordable inclusive and sustainable mobility will be achieved. I hope you will enjoy this exciting journey into the future of people and goods mobility.