Licentiate seminar: Lina Rylander

Respondent: Lina Rylander

Opponent: Josina Vink, Oslo School of Architecture and Design

Examiner: Hunilla Ölundh Sandström

Supervisors: Magnus Eneberg and Jonas Mårtensson

Title: Design reconsiderations for Uptime in a transportation system with driverless trucks 

Abstract: The introduction of driverless trucks will cause disruptions in the transportation system, and one considerable change is that the driver is no longer present. The effects of removing the driver from the transportation system are little explored, but it is reasonable to argue that it will affect the system design, such as how system actors interact, their relationships, and how they need to be organized.

The fault-handling system is one important subsystem to enable uptime in the transportation system. The fault-handling system is the system that provides activities that maintain vehicle health, and such activities can be maintenance, repair, and vehicle monitoring services. This thesis aims to present a redesign of the system to support uptime for driverless trucks. Such examples are service centers with experienced technicians, diagnosis and troubleshooting tools, maintenance planning support, and fleet management. Thus, maintenance and repair can be put in the context of a service.

This thesis aims to propose a design of the fault-handling system for driverless trucks that can support uptime. The questions explored are how the system is affected by removing the driver and which considerations are needed when redesigning the system. In addition, studying the driver's role in the system can give insight into how it is structured today, such as existing mental models, relationships, and institutional arrangements. Furthermore, vital aspects to consider when redesigning it for driverless trucks. The study showed that the driver has a significant role in the fault-handling system considering five themes 1) fault detection, 2) decision-making, 3) information exchange, 4) information retrieval, and 5) tacit knowledge and experience. The themes were further developed into considerations for redesigning the fault-handling system for driverless trucks.