Siemens and Deutsche Bahn showcase automatic train

Editorial staff
The digital S-Bahn

The driver remains on the train to supervise the journey with passengers on board but shunting, such as turning the train around, is done without on-board personnel. Deutsche Bahn (DB) and Siemens Mobility have developed what they claim is the world’s first train that operates by itself in rail traffic. The digital S-Bahn had its premiere run at the opening of the Intelligent Transport Systems World Congress (ITS), taking place in Hamburg until 15 October. During the congress, four digital S-Bahn trains are operating automatically along the 23km section of…

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Seoul to use QR codes for smarter management of trash bins

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South Korea

Seoul Metropolitan Government decided to introduce the QR code management system so that everyone in the city can request maintenance work for each bin. Seoul has announced plans to manage garbage cans with QR codes for more systematic control following a pilot programme in the South Korean capital’s Mapo district. Since July, 243 bins in the district were under management using QR codes. Request maintenance Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) reports there are approximately 5,000 garbage bins within the city. Although each district designated officials to check damages to and capacities…

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Russia establishes digital infrastructure for smart leasing

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Russia connected cars fleet

Data on the movements, violations and driving patterns of each driving client are automatically transmitted to the vehicle leasing company and can be used to calculate individual tariffs. Moscow’s Smart Driving Labs (SDL) and AzurDrive have launched a fleet of more than 500 connected cars, united by a single digital infrastructure. The fleet is intended to become the basis for the large-scale implementation of smart leasing programmes in Russia. According to SDL, the use of IoT technologies, satellite navigation, telemetry and big data will reduce monthly payments by individualising the…

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Companies join forces for transnational electric vehicle charging

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EV charging

European electric vehicle (EV) charging company Mer has selected Driivz’s platform to standardise its charging infrastructure operations. This decision follows the successful launch of the Driivz platform for transnational EV charging operations management in the UK and Germany. The roll-out will start in the Nordic region before advancing to a full deployment. Country-specific standards Following acquisitions and consolidation of EV charging networks around Europe, Mer Group said it identified a need to centrally manage a diverse range of systems, equipment, country-specific standards (Eichrecht) and transaction interfaces. To address those needs,…

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City of Seabrook to save $50,000 annually with smart metering system

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City of Seabrook

The City of Seabrook, Texas, has embarked on a water metering improvement project to replace the city’s ageing infrastructure. Renewable energy company Ameresco was selected to install more than 4,100 solid-state meters across the city and an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) system. Consumption data According to Ameresco, when mechanical meters age, their accuracy degrades as well, which results in the under-reporting of consumption data. Currently, Seabrook reports it replaces existing water meters and accessories on an as-needed basis. By replacing the water meters proactively, it will restore accuracy to the…

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Vietnam realises major energy savings from wireless rooftop solar

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solarní panely

Solar rooftops installed on temples and industrial parks in Vietnam have realised a 30 per cent reduction in energy costs compared to a traditional wired solution. It follows a partnership between analogue and mixed-signal semiconductors and advanced algorithms specialist Semtech and Cloud Energy, an Internet of Things (IoT) solution provider in Vietnam. LoRaWAN network The companies have joined forces to develop and deploy a network running on the LoRaWAN standard for a wireless solar power system installed on facility rooftops. A wired energy solution did not fit a rooftop solar…

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Telangana trials drones to deliver medical supplies

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Indie drony zásilky

Indian southern state of Telangana has announced a pilot programme for the delivery of vaccines by drone to remote areas. The initiative aims to improve equity in healthcare while enabling healthcare access for isolated populations and hazard-prone areas. Designated air corridors The trials, which have been organised by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in partnership with the state government of Telangana, Apollo Hospital’s HealthNet Global and NITI Aayog, will be conducted over 28 days in designated air corridors in the district of Vikarabad, Telangana. The “Medicine from the Sky” trials…

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World’s longest driverless metro begins operation in Dubai

Editorial staff

The metro and tram systems are part of a wider, multimodal network that expands travel options in the emirate by linking metro stations with bus, taxi and marine services. The world’s longest driverless metro in Dubai has begun operating under a new a 15-year contract awarded by the emirate’s Roads & Transport Authority (RTA). The running of the metro and the tramway is a joint venture (Keolis-MHI1) led by Keolis that includes Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Engineering (MHI) and Mitsubishi Corporation (MC) which have both been heavily involved in the construction…

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MaaS subscriber revenue to increase 900 per cent by 2027

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mobility-as-a-service (MaaS)

Research warns that until users trust the proposition of a subscription-based transport service, mobility-as-a-service platforms must ensure pricing models are flexible. Juniper Research forecasts that subscriber revenue for mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) platforms will generate $53bn in subscriber revenue, rising from $5.3bn in 2021, marking a 900 per cent increase by 2027. The research identified a monthly subscription model as key to increasing adoption of MaaS among consumers. The analyst cautioned though that, until users trust the proposition of a subscription-based transport service, MaaS platforms must ensure pricing models are flexible, for…

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Tech companies to develop autonomous, multi-purpose electric vehicle

Editorial staff

Oxbotica and AppliedEV have announced a collaboration to develop a fully autonomous, multi-purpose electric vehicle capable of being deployed in a wide range of environments for a variety of commercial applications. The driverless vehicle will initially be targeted at the industrial logistics and goods delivery sector, with continued growth expected in further industries as the number of vehicles is scaled. Business cases Oxbotica will integrate its autonomous vehicle software with AppliedEV’s programmable and configurable electric vehicle platform. The go-to-market strategy for Oxbotica and AppliedEV is to focus on markets that…

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Smart mobility firm joins EU’s €22m autonomous driving project

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Avenue project Geneva autonomous vehicle

The Deutsche Bahn smart mobility subsidiary, Ioki, is joining the EU’s €22m flagship autonomous vehicle project Avenue as a technology partner. The company specialises in research and operation of autonomous transport and demand responsive transport in German-speaking countries. Geneva deployment Avenue, or Autonomous Vehicles to Evolve to a New Urban Experience, is initially testing the automation of urban transport in four European cities, with more to follow. The first autonomous shuttle will be deployed in Geneva. Ioki will provide a specially developed technical interface for the project. The interface creates…

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EHang trials parcel delivery drone flights in Estonia

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EHang 216 and Falcon Perform Trial Flights for EU GOF 2.0 Project in Estonia

Autonomous aerial vehicle (AAV) technology platform company EHang has announced the first passenger-grade AAV to have completed beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) trial flights in Estonian airspace. The trial flights for airport transport and parcel delivery were performed under the European Union’s GOF 2.0 Integrated Urban Airspace Validation (GOF 2.0) project. Peri-urban flights During the live trials, the EHang 216 flew from Tartu Airport to the Estonian Aviation Museum, with no passengers onboard, to demonstrate the uses cases and scenarios of eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) intra-urban and…

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Shell announces plans to deploy 50,000 EV charge points across UK

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EV charging UK

Shell has announced plans to deploy 50,000 on-street electric vehicle (EV) charge posts in the UK over the next four years as it seeks to deliver one third of the network required to meet climate change ambitions. The UK Committee for Climate Change recently recommended that the UK needed 150,000 public charge points operating across the UK by 2025. Charging networks According to Shell, its move is part of a wider effort to bring more EV charging availability to the millions of UK drivers without private parking and help local…

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Stockholm launches one of largest public e-bike shares in Europe

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Stockholm Vaimoo e-bikes

The e-bikes are linked to an integrated management system that claims to help reduce urban clutter by enabling virtual stations where vehicles can be parked after rental. Swedish municipality of Stockholm has signed an agreement to implement a new city e-bike sharing service. The new service will be operated by Spanish micro-mobility company CityBike Global, part of the Moventia Group, operating in Europe and Latin America with more than 30,000 vehicles. Smart electric bikes For Stockholm, which is expected to be one of the largest public e-bike sharing service in…

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Melbourne undertakes AI-powered trial for smarter waste

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Melbourne panorama

Trial uses Nokia Scene Analytics to optimise laneway servicing and understand waste disposal behavioural trends in one of the Australian city’s busy areas. The City of Melbourne has conducted a trial using artificial intelligence (AI) technology to develop a deeper understanding of waste disposal behaviour. The aim is to allow the city to tackle the issue of waste dumping more efficiently and keep laneways – the busy and narrow city streets and pedestrian areas – safe and clean. Laneway servicing The trial uses Nokia Scene Analytics to optimise laneway servicing…

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