This news out of the University of New South Wales and Indian government is an exciting development that appears to be another step in advancing Australia's preparedness for autonomous and connected vehicles, among other automotive advancements. Understanding the role of data collected from and transmitted between vehicles and infrastructure in the smart city is critical.
With much policy work underway there is still a long way to go toward understanding the opportunities for connective vehicles in the smart city. SCCANZ will be launching a Mobility Task Force later in 2017, and hopes to play an active role in creating with its partners and other stakeholders the principles and criteria for city design outcomes for this emerging technology. — Adam Beck
The memorandum of understanding signed by the Indian Academy of Highway Engineers (IAHE) and the University of New South Wales (USNW) seems more like a business plan than the typical non-binding agreement.
The two organisations will build the Centre for Advanced Transportation Technology and Systems (CATTS) to conduct R&D in smart transportation technologies and innovations and provide training in transportation system modelling and data in the context of smart cities.
The IAHE is India's primary training institution for highway and bridge engineers. UNSW is home to the Smart Cities Research Cluster, which concentrates on efficient design, planning and implementation of smart cities and the services they provide through ICT.
For the record, the IAHE/UNSW partnership appears to be a first, according to a statement: "This would be the world's first transportation centre involving two countries committed to seeing technological innovation for economic development through improved safety and reduced congestion."
Specific details on the centre and its location have not yet been released.
It may be interesting to note that Global Council Lead Partner Daimler has been involved in R&D in India for the past 20 years through the Mercedes-Benz Research and Development Centre India. The centre is located in Bengalaru, which the company chose because of its high percentage of skilled technicians in engineering and IT.
Doug Peeples is a writer specializing in technology and energy. Follow @smartcitiesanz on Twitter.
