CREEF: Use of synthetic macrofibres to reinforce concrete for elements of structural importance in marine environments
December 13, 2022
GroPeRBot: An autonomous robotic system to detect soil humidity using georadar technology
December 20, 202216/12/2022
Researchers from Barcelona Innovative Transportation (BIT) and from inLab FIB of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC) have worked on MultiDEPART. In the framework of this project, three key tools have been developed for the planning and management of urban mobility, which will help public transport authorities and their operators to adopt and scale transport services on demand (Demand Responsive Transit, DRT) in their areas.
The aim of the Multi-operator tool for managing Demand rEsPonsive trAnspoRT (MultiDEPART) is to respond to the increasing demand for DRT, that is, the provision of a public transport service through flexible routes and timetables, based on real demand gathered from users through digital communication tools (apps) and other types of tools. The concept was already known and has been applied in rural zones (mainly based on telephone calls and manual routing of services). Currently, it has the potential to resolve accessibility in low-demand urban areas due to the digitalisation of public transport and the mass adoption of mobile phone by many segments of the population. This make the creation of flexible routes and timetables easier and more effective, depending on the real demand that is gathered.
The tools that were developed with which to resolve these challenges will be marketed by Capgemini and KMF Ventures and will help operators and transport authorities to deploy transport on demand in cities and metropolitan areas. These tools are:
- A planning tool to provide strategic information to define the most suitable area, operations and stops, to help to simulate the operation of a DRT service.
- A dashboard to help public transport authorities and transport operators to assess and manage the various DRT services.
- A business tool to define whether the establishment of DRT services will be profitable. This includes a report on the various areas that will be affected positively by the employment of the DRT solution, as well as a financial analysis tool to estimate the profitability of the new service.
The project lasted 12 months (March 2021 – March 2022), during which the project members were able to test these tools in 2 pilot tests in addition to that carried out in Barcelona: one in Thessalonica (Greece) and the other in Lisbon (Portugal).
The role of the UPC in this project has been to contribute to the development of the planning tool, along with AIMSUN.
Consortium, budget and funding
The project, which was funded by EIT Urban Mobility with a budget of €944,819, has been developed by a consortium of 12 partners from European countries: the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC), CARNET, FACTUAL, Capgemini Engineering, Carris, Aimsun, Center for Research & Technology Hellas (CERTH), Thessaloniki Transport Authority, Tusgsal, Nemi and Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB).
Sector
You want to know more?
Related Projects
- A research team from the inLab FIB at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC), together with the Asociación de Personas con Movilidad Reducida (AsoPMR), has taken part in the Spot4Dis project to enhance the mobility and autonomy of people with reduced mobility.
- The La Volta project foresees the construction of a large Catalan vault pergola within the Llars Mundet campus, in the Montbau neighbourhood (Horta-Guinardó district). This structure will become a new architectural landmark for Barcelona, combining traditional construction techniques with contemporary innovation. The project involves the Rehabilitation and Architectural Restoration Research Group (REARQ), at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC), and is led by the Architects’ Association of Catalonia (COAC) and the Barcelona Provincial Council.
SATE-VEG: A system for energy renovation of buildings that helps reduce the urban heat island effect
Researchers from the Architecture, Energy and Environment (AiEM) group at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC) have developed SATE-VEG, an external thermal insulation system with a vegetal coating that offers seasonally adaptive thermal behaviour, enhances urban biodiversity and promotes positive health effects. The system is made from organic materials, requires low maintenance and consumes minimal water.- A research team from the Interdisciplinary Group on Building Science and Technology (GICITED) at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya – BarcelonaTech (UPC) is leading the BioSAFE project, which aims to develop sustainable building envelopes —mainly façades— designed according to sustainability, comfort and safety criteria, with particular attention to their acoustic behaviour and fire performance.
