Safer Cities Through Data Science Empowered by Smart Bikes - ATRAI Bikes

• Grant number: 23/00746-4
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Start date: December 01, 2023
• End date: July 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Transportation Engineering
• Agreement: EUREKA Network
• Principal Investigator: Luis Fernando Villaça Meyer
• Grantee: Luis Fernando Villaça Meyer
• Principal researcher abroad: Dr Thomas Bartoschek
• Institution abroad: University of Munster, Germany
• Company: Instituto Cordial de Desenvolvimento Social Ltda
• CNAE: Tratamento de dados, provedores de serviços de aplicação e serviços de hospedagem na internet

Abstract

Despite all the discussions, motorized individual transport dominates worldwide with its high land consumption, CO2 emissions, traffic accidents, etc. This is a major challenge and restricts the quality of life of the inhabitants and leads to various conflicts of land use. A sustainability-oriented change in transport, which is necessary to achieve the SDGs, is a particular challenge for cities, where many commuters live and where public transport reaches its carrying capacity. Frequently, the desire is then expressed for a bicycle-friendly infrastructure in order to be able to support diverse groups as citizens, logistics (deliveries) and people with reduced mobility, for example. But how do citizens, logistics / services companies and local governments manage together the improvement of the bicycle infrastructure? The basis of strategic decisions is data, which is why they are essential to change things in a long-lasting way. Thus, our goal is to empower citizens, companies and local governments worldwide, but especially in São Paulo (Brazil) and in Münster (Germany), to individually collect and work on data related to bicycle infrastructure. This information will be used on the decision-making on the improvement of urban infrastructure of the cities in a permanent way. Our approach will be to engage citizens and companies in political decisions - following Open Data and Citizen Science paradigms. The technical basis is formed by the senseBox (www.sensebox.de), a modular kit for environmental measurements developed at the Institute for Geoinformatics in Münster, which has won several awards and has been adapted for attachment to bicycles and mobile use. From this device, citizens can collect important parameters such as the distance to car traffic, the quality of cycle paths and danger spots during a daily commute. In addition to traffic data, additional environmental phenomena such as temperature or fine dust concentration can be measured. This process is supported by workshops in which these measuring devices are built and programmed, and the data literacy of the participants is strengthened. The data collection and workshops will result in technical reports, based on GeoAI analysis of the information collected and validated with the various stakeholders, thus supporting implementations and improvements of the bike system in urban environments, starting with Münster and São Paulo. (AU)