On the 20th of July, Michelle Boonen, one of our Smart City researchers, presented the results of the Citizen bike project.
This project investigates whether a bike-mounted sensor allows researchers to learn more about people’s cycling experience and behavior. In her presentation she elaborated on two main methodologies used in a user centered smart city design approach: Proxy technology assessment (i.e. introducing technology that resembles the innovation under development in people’s everyday setting) and experience sampling (i.e. real-time measurement of user experience).
The main outcome of this presentation was the importance to test as early as possible in the field even if the prototype does not resemble the end device (yet). It allowed researchers to identify the main issues urban cyclists were experiencing while cycling and at the same time gave them real-time input on how they were using the device.
More information on these methods and the citizen bike project can be found in the published article, accessible via this link.