Developing an application for smartphones which will help city residents to choose the most eco-friendly modes of transport is targeted at the research project PEACOX (Usable Persuasive Trip Advisor for Reducing CO2-consumption), in which the Information Systems Management Unit of the University Research Institute of Communication and Computer Systems participates.
The project combines methods of automatically identifying the means of movement and the purpose of user travel, dynamic profiles and methods of exporting user preferences for personalized proposals for ecological means of transport and routes, computational emission estimation models, and strategies for presenting information in a way that to drive users to choose their eco-friendly modes of transport and to change their behavior in the long run.
The Greek team, with scientific coordinator Professor NTUA Grigoris Mentza and the research team leader, Dr. Efthimios Botsos, designed and implemented algorithms that choose and present users with ecological routes according to their preferences and according to their habits. The proposed routes can combine more than one means of transport.
Στο έργο συμμετέχουν οκτώ φορείς από έξι χώρες (Αυστρία, Ελβετία, Ιρλανδία, Τσεχία, Ολλανδία, Ελλάδα) μεταξύ των οποίων είναι πανεπιστήμια και ερευνητικά κέντρα (ETHZ – Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, TCD – Trinity College Dublin, CURE – Center for Usability Research and Engineering), εταιρείες παροχής λογισμικού πλοήγησης (TOMTOM International Bv, Fluidtime Data Services GmbH, TMX – Telematix Software a.s.) και δημόσιοι οργανισμοί (ITS Vienna Region). Συγχρηματοδοτείται από την Ε.Ε. μέσω του ‘7th Framework Programme' και διαρκεί τρία έτη.
The first version of the app is already available and was evaluated by 60 Viennese residents in the summer of 2013. Results αξιολογήθηκαν ως ενθαρρυντικά, καθώς οι χρήστες ήταν ευχαριστημένοι από τη λειτουργικότητά της, ενώ θετικά αξιολογήθηκαν και οι εξατομικευμένες προτάσεις εναλλακτικών και οικολογικών διαδρομών. Επιπρόσθετα, η analysis of the results showed that the ecological consciousness of the participants increased with the use of the application, while in some cases there was also a change in behavior such as a reduction in the use of the car with a simultaneous increase in travel by means of public transport.
Future implementation could also be used in Greek cities with air pollution and increased traffic problems such as Athens and Thessaloniki.
Source: naftemporiki.gr
Pictures: project-peacox.eu
