Three student teams are now six weeks into the smart mobility research question: "How are advanced technologies, such as cameras, smart traffic lights and radar, deployed at crosswalks to effectively recognise pedestrians with visual impairments?"

The initiative arose from the demand of road managers from various municipalities who are looking for innovative solutions to social issues. IT students, road authorities, and national institutes such as CROW and the RDW are working together on concrete innovations that improve traffic and mobility in the region.

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Collaboration
The close cooperation between the various parties is crucial. This joint, multi-year research program around smart mobility is not a one-off project, but is part of a longer-term program. The projects that students are working hard on will continue to be developed and contribute to the intensive knowledge development on smart mobility.

The municipality of Zoetermeer also emphasizes the importance of IT knowledge in the traffic sector. By introducing IT talents to the issues surrounding smart traffic lights, new perspectives are seen and innovation is stimulated.

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Practical testing
Knowledge retrieval and sharing should not get bogged down in theory. Practical testing of potential solutions is key: it increases confidence in the technology and provides a unique opportunity to gain in-depth understanding of different solutions. The Future Mobility Network recognizes that the process of testing and permitting new vehicles and technologies on public roads is a lengthy one, involving in-depth research questions and projects. Therefore, it is also very important that THE workers of the future also take a critical look at these issues with the latest knowledge.

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Student solutions
For the IT students, this project offers a valuable opportunity to get acquainted with the companies of the region and immerse themselves in this exciting field of work. Through their active participation, they not only develop their own skills, but also contribute to concrete solutions.

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Scrum sessions from Rudozi
Rudozi, the company for 360-degree camera solutions for drivers, guided the process with one student group. Through out-of-the-box thinking during six scrum sessions between the IT students and national institutions such as the RDW, the students managed to provide direction for their project. They spent six weeks researching how to help truck drivers reduce the dangerous blind spot and thereby reduce the high number of fatal traffic accidents. The students' focus is on combining an interactive manual with the knowledge base, illustrating each step with pictures.

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The smart ratchet ticker
The remaining two groups delved into the difficulty of visually impaired people crossing without assistive devices, partly due to the noise of rattle tickers and insecurity during the night. One student group first delved into the annoyances about existing traffic solutions of 25 visually impaired people. They expressed the need for a 100 percent safe system. In addition, they showed their dissatisfaction with traffic lights that are off at night and do not have integrated, intelligent traffic control systems or ratchet timers. The urgency of this project was evident when a visually impaired person reported having to detour for 20 minutes to cross.

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The students will combine their solutions and move forward as one group. The innovative solution is the "smart rattle ticker" that activates only when a blind person passes, preventing noise pollution and providing a proven, safe solution. The other group came up with the solution of implementing an adaptive sound system in the traffic light that adapts to ambient noise. Together, these two solutions offer a brilliant solution.

By combining the forces of IT students, municipal agencies, companies and national institutes, significant strides are being made in the development of smart mobility. On to efficient, sustainable and safe mobility solutions.

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