Transport

09 May 2018

Shared data and shrinking aircraft seats to cut travel times in Europe

Aircraft seats that temporarily shrink and a joined-up transport system that allows people to easily plan a door-to-door journey could help shift people’s first choice of travel away from cars and towards public transport by reducing the time and effort involved.

Digital communication between ships could help optimise shipping routes and reduce fuel consumption. Image credit - B.S. Halpern (T. Hengl; D. Groll) / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

environment | transport

18 April 2018

Electric ferries and joined-up shipping to turn sea travel green

Electric ferries and digital communication between ships could help in the quest to decarbonise maritime transport, a sector which is often perceived as being the green option but could still do much to lower its environmental footprint.

transport

16 April 2018

Fleets of compact e-vehicles could help battle air pollution

Lightweight electric mini-cars could soon be a common sight on the streets of Europe’s cities thanks to longer-lasting batteries, tilting and stackable design, and modular components to bring down the cost of mass production.

We asked a selection of European scientists which scientific breakthroughs they'd like to see in 2018. Image credits from left to right: Atrial myxoma edge low mag by Nephron is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0, Maddieee/ Pixabay, NASA/ESA

space | health | transport

02 January 2018

Expect exoplanet atmospheres, organs with new functions and fewer traffic jams in 2018

The search for alien life with next-generation telescopes, a self-healing heart capable of restarting itself, and safer roads with smarter cars are expected to feature as the some of the key scientific breakthroughs in the coming year.

Intelligent autopilots could make flying easier for the crews and allow them to undertake on-board training. Image credit - A-PiMod/ DLR

transport

03 November 2017

Smart autopilot promises to keep flying safe

Intelligent autopilot and cockpits designed by virtual reality could ease the burden on pilots and make flying safer for Europe’s airline passengers.

Leftover straw from wheat harvests could be the building blocks for greener chemicals. Image credit – Pixabay/ ArnoBeauvois

agriculture | environment | transport

10 October 2017

Wheat straw waste could be basis for greener chemicals

The straw leftover from harvested wheat could be turned into bio-based chemicals that offer high greenhouse gas savings and do not compete with food supplies or damage ecosystems.

Researchers hope to make cars energy efficient by measuring road conditions through your smartphone. Image credit - CROWD4ROADS

transport | environment

14 September 2017

Sensors in your smartphone could make roads greener

By combining car sharing apps with a smartphone’s ability to measure movement and vibration, researchers are hoping to make roads greener.

Spinning cylindrical sails can be used on large ships to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and propel them forward. Image credit - Norsepower

environment | transport

12 September 2017

Cleaner engines and spinning sails propel emissions reductions in big ships

A major overhaul of ship propulsion is underway to make global shipping cleaner and more energy-efficient.

Researchers are looking into smart radar and on-bike avoidance tech to prevent accidents with cyclists. Credit: CC0 Public Domain

transport

12 June 2017

Small-scale Doppler effect to help cyclists stay safe

An extremely sensitive radar that can detect when different parts of people’s bodies are moving at different speeds could help drivers avoid collisions with vulnerable road users such as cyclists.