Transport is a major contributor to climate change and congestion in our cities. Funded by Science Foundation Ireland, the Hamilton Institute has recently embarked on a major project which will help regulate the effect of vehicles to avoid pollution peaks, manage traffic flow more efficiently while respecting an emissions budget, and regulate electric vehicle load on the energy network. This requires vehicles to be able to cooperate with each other, using technology such as GPS, smart sensors and city-wide wireless network connectivity. The Hamilton Institute is developing a series of scalable, efficient algorithms for achieving coordination across urban IT and network systems.
 
The research project will ultimately facilitate automobiles working / communicating together while not interfering with or compromising security. Imagine driving into a congested city and being able to avoid charges by taking routes that are less expensive / more environmentally friendly. Vehicles would be able to switch from petrol to electricity as they enter more congested areas of a city. Drivers would be able to use inbuilt Apps to be directed to the nearest electrical charging points and gauge the volume of other cars in the area. A scheme such as the Dublin Bike Scheme could be implemented for electric cars. This project is one of the most important environmental research studies currently underway globally.
 
The Hamilton Institute is working in partnership with a number of international collaborators on the project including Fraunhofer Fokus and Technische Universität (TU), Berlin.