On Friday, September 27th, CERTH has participated in the Researchers’ Night organized for the 14th year in the Grand Concert Hall (Megaro Mousikis) of Thessaloniki. The young and old friends of research and technology had a chance to spend an evening of innovation, productive communication and entertainment, learning more about research projects and research infrastructures of the Institute.
The visitors discovered the capabilities of SAFE STRIP and logistics of smart cities, experienced the driving simulator, learned about Mobile Lab for Environmental and Traffic Measurements, as well as were as had an opportunity to create a sustainable city through a board game. The Director of HIT/CERTH, Dr. E. Bekiaris mentioned that one of the main focuses of the Institute is proposing optimal solutions for road safety and developing “smart roads”, emphasizing that “Greek researchers are standing behind groundbreaking innovative ideas”. This is what the visitors see at the Researchers’ Night today.
HIT/ CERTH (the Hellenic Institute of Transport of the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas), situated in Thermi Thessaloniki is the main research organization in the field of Transport in Greece and one among the most important and most recognized pan-European technology nodes and reports directly to the General Secretariat for Research and Technology of the Ministry of Development and Investments.
More precisely, HIT has presented the following on the Researchers’ Night
SAFE STRIP
SAFE STRIP (SAFE and green Sensor Technologies for self-explaining and forgiving Road Interactive Applications) aims to contribute to Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems through a revolutionary idea: the real-time transmission of static and dynamic information concerning the road, environmental and traffic conditions to moving vehicles. SAFE STRIP is expected to significantly increase road safety through valid and immediate road, environmental and traffic information, while at the same time the system aims to replace toll stations, current 'smart' parking applications and VMS (Variable Message Signs).
Mobile Lab for Environmental, Pavement and Traffic Measurements
HIT’s Mobile Lab for Environmental, Pavement and Traffic Measurements, has precision meters for stationary stations and measures gaseous pollutants and meteorological phenomena (wind speed and direction, humidity, temperature, etc.). At the same time, various non-destructive control methods inspect for defects (i.e. damage or road surface quality), infrastructure (bridges, tanks etc.) and Means of Transport (Airplanes, trains etc.)
THESSALONIKI SMART MOBILITY LIVING LAB
HIT’s «Thessaloniki Smart Mobility Living Lab», one of Europe's largest Living Labs, is constantly creating and delivering services to turn Thessaloniki into a smart Logistics hub. It also includes real-time traffic data in Thessaloniki and short-term forecasting of traffic conditions from multiple sources. Within the framework of Researchers’ Night, two new freight and warehousing services were presented, offering valuable business tools.
BOARD GAME FOR SUSTAINABLE URBAN MOBILITY
An inventive board game for children, aimed to create an urban environment within the context of sustainable mobility. The game was created as part of the GO SUMP horizontal project of Interreg Med 2014-2020 programme, within the framework of MOTIVATE project, where HIT/CERTH is carrying the role of the technical coordinator. Children 'build' a city with infrastructure, buildings, homes, universities, parks, etc. and of course with people, trying to create sustainable conditions by using environmentally friendly alternative means of transport. At the same time, parents are involved in an online survey on awareness-raising regarding sustainability and sustainable development, carried out as part of Interreg-Europe 2014-2020 e-smartec project ('enhanced sustainable mobility with marketing techniques'), and coordinated by HIT/CERTH.
MOBILE DRIVING SIMULATOR
This simulator develops a number of driving scenarios, aimed at studying various driving situations that would carry risk under real conditions (for example, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, fatigue due to insomnia, dangerous overtakes and many more).