Public transportation (PT) systems suffer from disutility compared to private transportation\ndue to the inability to provide passengers with a door-to-door service, referred to as the first/last\nmile problem. Personal mobility devices (PMDs) are thought to improve PT service quality by closing\nthis first/last mile gap. However, current PMDs are generally driven manually by the rider and\nrequire a learning phase for safe vehicle operation. Additionally, most PMDs require a standing\nriding position and are not easily accessible to elderly people or persons with disabilities. In this\npaper, the concept of an autonomously operating mobility device is introduced. The visionary\nconcept is designed as an on-demand transportation service which transports people for short to\nmedium distances and increases the accessibility to public transport. The device is envisioned to be\noperated as a larger fleet and does not belong to an individual person. The vehicle features an electric\npowertrain and a one-axle self-balancing design with a small footprint. It provides one seat for a\npassenger and a tilt mechanism that is designed to improve the ride comfort and safety at horizontal\ncurves. An affordable 3D-camera system is used for autonomous localization and navigation. For the\nevaluation and demonstration of the concept, a functional prototype is implemented.
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