Mobility Assistants to Support Multi-Modal Routes in Smart Cities: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Objectives - This study aimed to identify: (i) the current research trends related to mobility assistants to support multi-modal routes in smart cities; (ii) the types of smart cities’ data being used; (iii) the methods applied to assess the proposed solutions; and iv) the major barriers for their dissemination. Methods - An electronic search was conducted in several databases, combining relevant keywords. Then titles and abstracts were screened against inclusion and exclusion criteria. Finally, the full texts of the eligible articles were retrieved and screened for inclusion. Results - A total of 19 articles were included. These articles either propose algorithms to optimize routes planning or presenting specific applications that make use of a broad range of smart cities’ data. Conclusion - The number of included articles is very reduced when compared with the total number of articles related to smart cities, which means that the mobility assistants to support multi-modal routes are still not significant within the smart cities’ research. Moreover, most of the included articles report applications in an early stage of development, which is a major barrier for the respective dissemination.