Aston University partners with consultancy to develop technology for UK road improvements

Researchers at Aston University have teamed up with a consultancy specialising in transport planning, traffic engineering and parking to create technology that aims to improve UK roads.

The goal is to reduce emissions, decrease accidents and save costs for local governments.

The research team and Smart Transport HUB will work together through a new Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) to collect data on road conditions and highway assets.

They will use hardware with machine vision and machine learning to analyze camera feeds in real-time and share information with highway contractors.

The technology aims to improve road conditions and traffic management, allow for timely repairs and increase productivity.

It also aims to improve traffic flow and safety, leading to fewer accidents, lower emissions and reduced pollution.

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, funded by Innovate UK, bring together businesses, universities, and qualified research associates.

Nicola Mastini, principal consultant at Smart Transport HUB, said: “Aston University is right at the forefront of research in AI and deep learning for traffic simulation. The KTP gives us a unique opportunity to integrate some of that knowledge and use this as a basis for upscaling our team, boosting our productivity, and developing a very unique and attractive commercial product.”