Monday 12 August 2024

Transport decarbonisation research gets £46 million

Researchers at the TransiT Hub, led by Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh and the University of Glasgow, have received £46 million investment to create a digital twin of transport systems.

Researchers will use the digital replicas of the physical world to collect data in real time using sensors connected to infrastructure such as roads, railways and shipping.

They can then test and improve real-world scenarios.

The technology could give motorists information to reduce emissions and costs, such as updating digital road signs with the most efficient way out of traffic.

It can help identify the lowest-cost pathways to net zero by finding the most sustainable routes, vehicle types and journey times.

Feryal Clark, Minister for AI and Digital Government, said: "We see a technology future for British people which enriches and improves their lives.

"On top of saving the public time and money on the journeys they take day-to-day, this project will also harness the power of transformative digital technologies to cut carbon emissions – demonstrating the incredible impact technology can have in improving our public services, tackling climate change, and beyond."

The research group will work with transport users so that the digital twin can better understand human travel behaviour.