All-in-one transport app to revolutionise how we get around
Credit: Fotolia
A new transport app that promises an all-in-one way to get around is being developed by scientists at the Silesian University of Technology as part of an international consortium.
According to Professor Grzegorz Sierpiński from the Faculty of Transport and Aviation Engineering of the Silesian University of Technology, the ETPlanner application is to be part of a system developed in the international research and development project Electric Travelling, one of the key areas being to support the implementation of electromobility in urban areas.
He said: “The end product will be an entire IT system supporting both travellers and local authorities. It will consist of several modules and will enable door-to-door travel planning, with an algorithm for optimising routes taking into account electric vehicles.
Further elements of the system are intended for local authorities: ETCharge (a module indicating the needs for the development of electric vehicle charging stations network based on actual trips), ETSim (a simulator of various scenarios in a selected area based on data from ETPlanner) and ETReport (a reporting module presenting the simulation results).
The application with trip planning functionality will give residents all the possibilities available in a given area. It will collect data from all sources made available by transport operators and will combine data on public transport, forms of personal transport (own bicycle, scooter, etc.) and shared transport, as well as the infrastructure of electric transport.
Prof. Sierpiński said: “We are trying to integrate all kinds of movements and provide the traveller with full information. The planner allows us to prioritise a specific way of travelling in a specific area or route. The application accompanying the planner will also allow to optimise the entire chains of daily journeys.”
Another function is planning journeys or their subsequent stages to minimize the emission of harmful substances. In terms of travel by electric means of transport, the information will include estimated energy consumption and data on charging needs and possibilities.
According to the Silesian University of Technology, unlike other planners (e.g. those provided by electronic map suppliers or shared vehicle network operators), ETPlanner will actually collect data on all available forms of travel and process them, expecting only basic information from the user.
With regard to ensuring the system's access to data on various travel methods, the scientist mentions the popular GTFS standard, in which, for example, data on public transport can be provided dynamically.
According to Sierpiński, the app should be ready by the end of the year and will then be made available to local authorities.
The project leader is the Spanish company Saitec Engineering, and the partners are the Spanish consulting company FactorCO2, the Spanish research center DeustoTech, the Silesian University of Technology, the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, the Delft University of Technology and Dutch consulting company Over Morgen.
The Silesian University of Technology has already cooperated with most of these partners. The current project is a continuation of the Green Travelling project focusing on ecological travel.
The Electric Travelling project is implemented under the Horizon 2020 framework program, under the ERA-NET Cofund Electric Mobility Europe initiative. The Polish side received funding from the National Centre for Research and Development (PAP).
author: Mateusz Babak
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