Applying a Multidimensional System Approach to Automated Shuttle Assessment: The Case of KIS'M in Berlin

Having started in 2022, a consortium of research institutions, technical partners and government partners (public transport carrier and urban transport authority) have been collaborating in the KIS'M project in Berlin, Germany. The goal is to research the implementation of automated shuttles in public transport, accompanied by a technology assessment process based on systems thinking. In this document, we delineate this technology assessment process and its theoretical foundations, initiated to research the needs and wishes for public transport shuttles with an SAE Level 4. We discuss a developed criteria catalog and detail how systems thinking helps in identifying conflicting objectives. Furthermore, we explore the role of transdisciplinarity in helping arrive at a shared understanding of problems and solutions among project partners, each contributing their perspectives and knowledge.