Saas Testing to Improve Urban Air Quality Management

Marking a milestone for the IMAGINEXT project, the pilot tests conducted in Spain and Germany have reached their conclusion in October 2023. The project has made remarkable strides in the development of mobility solutions to improve air quality.

The pilot test in Spain, hosted in the city of Cartagena, successfully simulated a low emission zone, addressing pressing environmental concerns. On the other hand, the German counterpart, located in Lindau, finished its air quality tests on October 25 with an institutional visit from the project partners and the EIT Urban Mobility, which included a stop by the newly reconstructed bike lane.

The technology being tested is a Software as a Service (SaaS) platform that leverages real-time pollution and traffic data, employing artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to analyze the impact of various mobility strategies to improve air quality. For instance, it can simulate the effects of a higher percentage of electric vehicles in circulation or the implementation of new cycling infrastructure, as demonstrated in the case of Lindau.

To gather the required data, air quality sensors have been strategically deployed in both cities, while traffic data has been sourced from a combination of relevant channels, which are planned to include traffic cameras, among others.

The development of the SaaS platform for the IMAGINEXT Project was characterized by a user-centric approach, with mobility planners at the forefront of the design process, who will be the primary user for the software. Close collaboration with city representatives ensured that the tool met their specific needs while also being user-friendly. This emphasis on user-centric design guarantees that the platform seamlessly integrates into their planning processes, ultimately enabling more informed and effective decision-making for sustainable urban mobility. The project’s ultimate aim is to monitor pollutants generated by urban traffic, facilitating the design of strategies for the reduction of emissions.

CARNET has played a key role in this project, defining the pilots earlier in the year, and is now leading the evaluation of the results of the tests, which have been taking place over the last few months.

The IMAGINEXT project is co-funded by EIT Urban Mobility, an initiative of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union and is developed under the lead of HOPU in close collaboration with CARNET, Fraunhofer, PTV Group, City of Lindau and City of Cartagena.