The METROPOLIS Consortium Keeps Working Towards the Deployment of a More Sustainable and Efficient Mobility
Financing entity:
This publication is part of the R&D project PLEC2021-007609 funded by MCIN/AEI /10.13039/501100011033 and the European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR.
The METROPOLIS project aims to create cooperative applications to improve the efficiency, sustainability, safety, and equity of the flow of people and goods in urban areas. These will be scaled up and duplicated in other metropolitan areas across the globe later on.
The third of the travelling presential meetings hosted by the partner universities of the METROPOLIS project took place a few days ago, on the 25th of April, in Valencia (Spain).
In the meeting, several topics were discussed between all the partners.
Among de latest developments, we can find a simulation of passenger and traffic flow and freight vehicle behaviour in L/U areas developed by CARNET-UPC. The data collected from these simulations will be used to develop a common framework, enabling partners to evaluate new collaborative measures, which will lead to more sustainable and efficient mobility solutions. Moreover, the evaluation of the use of autonomous vehicles in the transportation of goods has also begun. A perception of autonomous vehicle delivery robots survey is being conducted in order to collect and analyse data from respondents.
The Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) contribution moved toward the development of a model to control pedestrian movements in the Moncloa intersection. In addition to that, the study of data from the DGT and various technologies such as traffic, acoustic and environmental condition sensors continue and is further investigated. In the end, a technology that makes use of camera vision to detect and count the number of people in areas of interest is being developed.
On the other hand, the Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena (UPCT), has presented a prototype of the cameras that could be installed in buses to detect the number of people getting on and off of them. Moreover, the partner is working on an Image Recognition algorithm that can discriminate between different types of freight loading and unloading operations in designated areas.
As for the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), they have developed and demonstrated a small-scale prototype of a bus with sensors capable of counting the number of people inside it. In addition, the prototype is able of driving autonomously on a road. This is a significant breakthrough in the field of intelligent and sustainable public transport, thanks to its potential to improve resource management and users’ travel experience.
Furthermore, all partners are committed to writing papers to be published in journals and abstracts to be submitted for presentation at relevant international conferences and transportation events.
In this regard, the first paper developed by CARNET-UPC will be presented in the 2023 Euro Working Group Transportation (EWGT), taking place from September 6 to 8 in Santander (Spain). This is one of the most important events in the transportation field that will bring together experts from around the world to discuss and present recent research on the subject.
Accordingly, another paper developed by UPM is expected to be presented at the CIT congress in Tenerife (Spain) this year. This event is a national and international reference for the promotion and dissemination of scientific research and technological innovation in the transport sector.
In summary, the METROPOLIS project is making important steps forward that will contribute to improving efficiency, sustainability, safety and equity of the flow of people and goods in the urban areas of the future with an upcoming meeting expected to take place in the city of Cartagena, Spain, hosted by the partner Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena (UPCT).
The project, led by CARNET and developed in collaboration with Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), TRANSyT-UPM, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Universitat Politècnica de Valencia (UPV), Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena (UPCT), ALSA and AMB Informació, is financed by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, European Union Next GenerationEU, Plan de Recuperación, Transformación y Resiliencia and Agencia Estatal de Investigación.
