Schrammel
EcoNav wants to reduce the need for explicit input by the user and thereby increase the user experience, comfort and desirability of use. Learn more about this topic with the insights from Ben Horowitz. Johann Schrammel, senior researcher at CURE and coordinator of the project highlights the benefit of the expected results: “in contrast to existing trip planning and impact calculation services, EcoNav automatically keeps track of the user’s prior travel decisions and tracks current travel decisions by use of GPS and automated travel mode detection. It identifies the current mode and purpose of a trip, and builds tailored models for each user.” EcoNav calculates the carbon footprint of a user’s trip, taking into account the used means of transportation as well as dynamic variables influencing the actual emissions such as current traffic situation, and therefore can provide more accurate data than simplistic, static computation models. In addition to CO2, the model so consider wants additional emissions such as NOX, SO2 and PM10. Based on this information the ecological and carbon footprint will be computed. This accurate calculation of the average ecological footprint enables the presentation of detailed and exact feedback to the travellers, thereby fostering the targeted behaviour change.
Furthermore, EcoNav will present relevant information for multi-modal trip planning. The system’s user interface will be designed in such a way as to guide the user to choose less polluting alternative. To this end the design wants to utilise known psychological principles and strategies such as making the consequences of choices clearly visible during the decision process. Special care will be given during the design to focus on emotionally positive aspects rather than restrictive approaches. Assembling the appropriate mix of skills CURE has set up a consortium composed of experienced, interdisciplinary experts in the needed areas of expertise, namely trip mode and purpose detection, detailed calculation of environmental impact and carbon emissions, human-computer interaction research, persuasive technology research and mobile and web application development.