Transport

Motorbike or moped riders have a 12 times higher chance of dying per kilometre than car drivers, according to researchers. Credit: ‘Motor Cycle EB’ by Eric Baetscher is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0

transport

30 May 2017

Two wheels closer to a safe arrival

Death doesn’t visit our roads equally.

European Commissioner Carlos Moedas says that we need to invent, create and guide the future of connected and automated transport. Credit: Connected and Automated Driving conference

transport | ict | policy

06 April 2017

Now is the time to shape the future of transport – Commissioner Moedas

Connected and automated cars could improve road safety, pollution levels and social inclusion, but only if implemented well – and now is the time to shape the course of events, EU research commissioner Carlos Moedas told a conference in Brussels.

Dr Alexander Kröller is researching the risk that hacking and viruses pose to self-driving cars. Image courtesy of Dr Alexander Kröller

interview | transport | ict

16 March 2017

Hackers could blackmail owners of self-driving cars - Dr Alexander Kröller, TomTom

Automated vehicles have the potential to revolutionise our day-to-day lives, but these kind of cyber-physical systems are vulnerable to attack by criminals. Horizon spoke with Dr Alexander Kröller, a research manager at Dutch navigation company TomTom, to explore the risks that hacking and viruses pose to self-driving cars.

New systems will manage interactions between automated vehicles to make sure traffic flows as smoothly and efficiently as possible. Credit: Unsplash/ Pedro Gandra

transport

14 March 2017

Choreographing automated cars could save time, money and lives

If you take humans out of the driving seat, could traffic jams, accidents and high fuel bills become a thing of the past? As cars become more automated and connected, attention is turning to how to best choreograph the interaction between the tens or hundreds of automated vehicles that will one day share the same segment of Europe's road network.

Level 3 automation, where the car handles all aspects of driving with the driver on standby, is being tested in Sweden. Image courtesy of Volvo cars

transport

10 March 2017

Split-second decisions – navigating the fine line between man and machine

Today’s self-driving car isn’t exactly autonomous – the driver has to be able to take over in a pinch, and therein lies the roadblock researchers are trying to overcome.

The MV Faina cargo ship was hijacked by pirates in 2008. Image credit: ‘MV-Faina-Pirates’ by the U.S. Navy is in the pubic domain

transport | security

21 February 2017

Thermal cameras sweep the horizon as pirate scanners trialled

It looks like a standard radar screen, but the technology behind the red flashing dots that alert the crew of an ocean tanker to the presence of pirates is highly sophisticated.

Hydrogen-powered vehicles and refuelling stations are popping up around Europe in an effort to reduce air pollution. Image courtesy of HyFIVE

transport | public–private partnerships | open innovation

19 October 2016

Crossing Europe on the hydrogen highway

From Bergen in Norway to Bolzano in Italy, specialised refuelling stations mean that drivers of hydrogen-powered cars can now travel right across Europe.

Vice-President Sefcovic wants European car manufacturers to become sustainable leaders on a global level. Image credit: EC Audiovisual Service / Georges Boulougouris

environment | transport

09 September 2016

R&D can steer transport sector towards green economy – Vice-President Šefčovič

Following recent vehicle emission scandals, confidence in sustainable mobility has taken a big hit. But research and development (R&D) could help the European transport sector get back on track and stay ahead of international competition, according to Maroš Šefčovič, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of Energy Union.

Electric roads could charge cars while they’re on the go, or waiting at a traffic light. Image courtesy of Pixabay/ stuart150

transport

28 June 2016

Electric roads to charge your car as you drive

Plugging your electric car into a charging station could become a thing of the past as researchers are developing electric roads that can charge your car while waiting at a traffic light or even on the move.