On the 22nd of November Georgios Kapousizis defended his PhD at the University of Twente on the following topic: “Smart Connected Bicycles: User Acceptance and Experience, Willingness to Pay and Road Safety Implications.”
This thesis evaluates the impacts of smart connected bicycles on users’ acceptance, preferences, and willingness to pay. In addition, users’ experience with a smart connected bike prototype is evaluated through a field experiment.
Data from five European countries and field experiment in Enschede were collected and analysed to examine the expected and experienced aspects regarding the influence of smart bicycle technologies on users’ preferences and riding behaviour changes. In addition, this thesis investigates how individuals from different countries with different cycling cultures perceive smart bicycle technologies and examines the impact of these factors on users’ preferences. It distinguishes individuals based on their preferences for smart bicycle technologies and accounts for their heterogeneity on big and small geographical scales.
This thesis consists of three main parts and five research questions which seek to assess the impact of smart bicycle technologies. The findings of this research serve multiple insights and provide several recommendations for practical (policymakers, governments, bicycle manufacturers) as well as theoretical (further research) implications.
Read the full thesis via the PDF below and more information here: https://research.utwente.nl/en/publications/smart-connected-bicycles-user-acceptance-and-experience-willingne