Exploring User Experience in Sustainable Transport with Explainable AI Methods Applied to E-Bikes

Abstract

Sustainable modes of transport are being promoted to achieve global climate goals. The perceived user experience is decisive for the choice of transport mode. To increase the share of sustainable transport in total traffic, the user experience is placed into the spotlight, raising the need for appropriate exploration methods. Machine learning (ML) techniques have become increasingly popular in the transport domain, but the black-box nature of ML models poses significant challenges in interpreting the relationship between model input and output. Explainable AI methods (XAI) can fill this gap by providing post hoc interpretation methods for black-box models. The aim of the present work was therefore to assess the potential of XAI to explore user experience in transport. The introduced method was based on a popular XAI method named SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations). Applied to the use case of e-bikes, we aimed to explore factors influencing the riding experience on e-bikes. We applied Gaussian process regression to data collected in a cycling study from 55 e-bike riders including rider behaviour, motor power and riding dynamics. Applying SHAP, we compared the riding experience of four rider types identified by hierarchical cluster analysis. The results provide insights into the riding experience on e-bikes: motor power, rider behaviour and riding dynamics were found to be meaningful predictors differing in their impact between rider types. Our results can be regarded as a proof of concept and demonstrate the potential of XAI to enhance the understanding of user experience in transport.