Emergency infrastructure assessment systems, road crack sealant monitoring, a host of electric vehicle charging innovations and AI projects have all been awarded tech grants from the Department for Transport (DfT).
The DfT announced the winners of close to £2m in cash for technology start-ups under the Transport Research and Innovation Grant (TRIG) programme, which typically provides £30,000 per winner.
Among the latest list of successful bidders were stars of the upcoming Cold Comfort Harrogate event, John Lamb and Dr Hugh Deeming, who have produced what is thought to be the world’s first highway rapid impact assessment system for incidents and emergencies.
The £30,000 grant the pair won will ensure that their Stormchain solution is at a technological readiness level to go to market this summer. It will also help the team conclude all the field trials that have taken place to date. Register for Cold Comfort on 25 and 26 May to find out more.
Other winners include the City Science Corporation, which aims to develop a system to identify the optimal locations for Mobility Hubs using AI-based generative design.
'Our system will help local authorities understand the opportunity and benefit for Mobility Hubs within their region, supporting the business case for their development, and understanding what modes to promote/prioritise,' the company said.
Robotiz3d Limited won a grant for its Seal-It project, which 'will create the first proof-of-principle prototype of a test-rig for quantitatively assessing the performance of road crack sealing materials and methodologies'.
Queen's University Belfast secured its funding for a project to create a Human Centred Pedestrian Avoidance System (HumanPAS): 'The proposed pedestrian-aware automated vehicle decision-making and control system will enable the automated vehicles to avoid pedestrians like human-driven vehicles, making the automated vehicles' performance more human-like, natural and acceptable from both on-board drivers and the other road users.'
Go Eve Ltd won for a prototype device project called 'DockChain' to produce a unit for charging electric vehicles with 'the speed and operational benefits of rapid DC-charging with the cost of equipment normally associated with slower AC-charging'.
Known as Technology-Transport Research Innovation Grant (T-TRIG) prior to this latest funding round, the DfT grants aim to reduce barriers to innovation and advance technology in transport.
They also aim to improve UK transport by exploiting ideas and early stage innovations that have the potential to develop further.
