{"id":1176,"date":"2020-02-25T17:09:45","date_gmt":"2020-02-25T17:09:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/horizon.peachpuff-wolverine-566518.hostingersite.com\/?p=1176"},"modified":"2020-02-25T17:12:32","modified_gmt":"2020-02-25T17:12:32","slug":"driverless-shuttles-what-are-we-waiting-for","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1176\/driverless-shuttles-what-are-we-waiting-for\/","title":{"rendered":"Driverless shuttles: what are we waiting for?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n

In the zero-carbon cities of the future, commuting to work may take the form of hailing a driverless shuttle through an app which ferries you from your door to the nearest public transport terminal. In fact, autonomous shuttles have been in development in restricted areas for the past few years.\u00a0So what will it take to make them part of our daily commute?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n

Jutting out into the sea, the industrial port area of Nordhavn in Denmark\u2019s capital, Copenhagen, is currently being transformed into a futuristic waterfront city district made up of small islets. It\u2019s billed as\u00a0Scandinavia\u2019s largest metropolitan development project<\/a> and, when complete, will have living space for 40,000 people and workspace for another 40,000.<\/p>\n

At the moment, Nordhavn is only served by a nearby S-train station and bus stops located near the station. There are no buses or trains running within the development area, although there are plans for an elevated metro line, and parking will be discouraged in the new neighbourhood. This is a great opportunity for autonomous vehicles (AVs) to operate as a new public transport solution, connecting this area more efficiently, says Professor Dimitri Konstantas at the University of Geneva in Switzerland.<\/p>\n

\u2018We believe that AVs will become the new form of transport in Europe,\u2019 he said. \u2018We want to prove that autonomous vehicles are a sustainable, viable and environmental solution for urban and suburban public transportation.\u2019<\/p>\n

Prof. Konstantas is coordinating a project called\u00a0AVENUE<\/a>, which aims to do this in four European cities. In Nordhavn, the team plans to roll out autonomous shuttles on a\u00a0loop with six stops<\/a>\u00a0around the seafront. They hope to have them up and running in two years. But once in place, the Nordhavn plan may provide a glimpse of how AV-based public transportation systems could work in the future.<\/p>\n

Prof. Konstantas envisages these eventually becoming an on-demand, door-to-door service, where people can get picked up and go where they want rather than predetermined itineraries and bus stops.<\/p>\n

In Nordhavn, AVENUE will test and implement an autonomous \u2018mobility cloud\u2019, currently under development, to link the shuttles with existing public transport, such as the nearby train station. An on-demand service will ultimately allow passengers to access the available transport with a single app, says Prof. Konstantas.<\/p>\n

Integrating autonomous shuttles into the wider transport system is vital if they are to take off, says Guido Di Pasquale from the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) in Brussels, Belgium.<\/p>\n

\u2018Autonomous vehicles have to be deployed as fleets of shared vehicles, fully integrated and complementing public transport,\u2019 he said. \u2018This is the only way we can ensure a sustainable usage of AVs in terms of space occupancy, traffic congestion and the environment.\u2019<\/p>\n

Single service<\/strong><\/p>\n

Di Pasquale points to a concept known as Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) as a possible model for future transport systems. This model combines both public and private transport. It allows users to create, manage and pay trips as a single service with an online account. For example, Uber, UbiGo in Sweden and Transport for Greater Manchester in the UK are exploring MaaS to enable users to get from one destination to another by combining transport and booking it as one trip, depending on their preferred option based on cost, time and convenience.<\/p>\n

Di Pasquale coordinates a project called\u00a0SHOW<\/a>, which aims to deploy more than 70 automated vehicles in 21 European cities to assess how they can best be integrated with different wider transport systems and diverse users\u2019 needs. They are testing combinations of AV types, from shuttles to cars and buses, in real-life conditions over the next four years. During this time, he expects the project\u2019s AVs to transport more than 1,500,000 people and 350,000 containers of goods. \u2018SHOW will be the biggest ever showcase and living lab for AV fleets,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n

He says that most of the cities involved have tested autonomous\u00a0last-mile vehicles<\/a>\u00a0in the past and are keen to include them in their future\u00a0sustainable urban mobility plans<\/a>.<\/p>\n

However, rolling out AVs requires overcoming city-specific challenges, such as demonstrating safety.<\/p>\n

\u2018Safety and security risks have restricted the urban use of AVs to dedicated lanes and low speed \u2014 typically below 20km\/h,\u2019 explained Di Pasquale. \u2018This strongly diminishes their usefulness and efficiency, as in most city environments there is a lack of space and a high cost to keep or build such dedicated lanes.\u2019<\/p>\n

It could also deter users. \u2018For most people, a speed barely faster than walking is not an attractive solution,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n

\n
\n

\u2018We want to prove that autonomous vehicles are a sustainable, viable and environmental solution for urban and suburban public transportation.\u2019<\/p>\n

Prof. Dimitri Konstantas, University of Geneva, Switzerland<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Di Pasquale hopes novel technology will make higher speed and mixed traffic more secure, and guarantee fleets operating safely by monitoring and controlling them remotely.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Each city participating in SHOW will use autonomous vehicles in various settings, including mixed and dedicated lanes, at various speeds and types of weather. For safety and regulation reasons, all of them will have a driver present.<\/p>\n

The objective is to\u00a0make the vehicle fully autonomous without the need for a driver\u00a0as well as optimise\u00a0the service to encourage people to make the shift from ownership of cars to shared services, according to Di Pasquale. \u2018This would also make on-demand and last-mile services sustainable in less densely populated areas or rural areas,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n

Authorisation<\/strong><\/p>\n

But the technical issues of making the vehicle autonomous are only a part of the challenge.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also the issue of who pays for it, says Di Pasquale. \u2018AVs require sensors onboard, as well as adaptations to the physical and digital infrastructure to be deployed,’ he explained. \u2018Their market deployment would require cities to drastically renew their fleets and infrastructures.\u2019<\/p>\n

SHOW\u2019s pilots are scheduled to start in two years from now, as each city has to prepare by obtaining the necessary permits and getting the vehicles and technology ready, says Di Pasquale.<\/p>\n

Getting authorisation to operate in cities is one of the biggest hurdles. City laws and regulations differ everywhere, says Prof. Konstantas.<\/p>\n

AVENUE is still awaiting city licences to test in Nordhavn, despite a national law being passed on 1 July 2017 allowing for AVs to be tested in public areas. Currently, they have pilots taking place in Lyon, France and Luxembourg. In Geneva, the team has managed to get the required licences and the first worldwide on-demand, AV public transportation service will be rolled out on a 69-bus-stop circuit this summer.<\/p>\n

AVENUE\u2019s initial results show that cities need to make substantial investments to deploy AVs and to benefit from this technology. The legal and regulatory framework in Europe will also need to be adapted for smooth deployment of services, says Prof. Konstantas.<\/p>\n

Both he and Di Pasquale hope their work can pave the way to convince operators and authorities to invest in fleets across Europe\u2019s cities.<\/p>\n

\u2018Depending on the willingness of public authorities, this can take up to four years until we see real, commercially sustainable AV-based public transportation services on a large scale in Europe,\u2019 said Prof. Konstantas.<\/p>\n

The research in this article was funded by the EU. If you liked this article, please consider sharing it on social media.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the zero-carbon cities of the future, commuting to work may take the form of hailing a driverless shuttle through an app which ferries you from your door to the nearest public transport terminal. In fact, autonomous shuttles have been in development in restricted areas for the past few years.\u00a0So what will it take to … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":317,"featured_media":1177,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"generate_page_header":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1176","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-earth-energy-environment"],"yoast_head":"\nDriverless shuttles: what are we waiting for? - Horizon Magazine Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1176\/driverless-shuttles-what-are-we-waiting-for\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Driverless shuttles: what are we waiting for?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In the zero-carbon cities of the future, commuting to work may take the form of hailing a driverless shuttle through an app which ferries you from your door to the nearest public transport terminal. In fact, autonomous shuttles have been in development in restricted areas for the past few years.\u00a0So what will it take to ... Read more\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1176\/driverless-shuttles-what-are-we-waiting-for\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Horizon Magazine Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-02-25T17:09:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-02-25T17:12:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/02\/Keolis-small.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"802\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"535\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Julianna Photopoulos\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Julianna Photopoulos\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1176\\\/driverless-shuttles-what-are-we-waiting-for\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1176\\\/driverless-shuttles-what-are-we-waiting-for\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Julianna Photopoulos\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/f09be7f5179eaa3cae47cef06afeb659\"},\"headline\":\"Driverless shuttles: what are we waiting for?\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-02-25T17:09:45+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-02-25T17:12:32+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1176\\\/driverless-shuttles-what-are-we-waiting-for\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1206,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1176\\\/driverless-shuttles-what-are-we-waiting-for\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2020\\\/02\\\/Keolis-small.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"Earth, Energy & Environment\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"copyrightYear\":\"2020\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1176\\\/driverless-shuttles-what-are-we-waiting-for\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1176\\\/driverless-shuttles-what-are-we-waiting-for\\\/\",\"name\":\"Driverless shuttles: what are we waiting for? - Horizon Magazine Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1176\\\/driverless-shuttles-what-are-we-waiting-for\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1176\\\/driverless-shuttles-what-are-we-waiting-for\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2020\\\/02\\\/Keolis-small.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-02-25T17:09:45+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-02-25T17:12:32+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1176\\\/driverless-shuttles-what-are-we-waiting-for\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1176\\\/driverless-shuttles-what-are-we-waiting-for\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1176\\\/driverless-shuttles-what-are-we-waiting-for\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2020\\\/02\\\/Keolis-small.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2020\\\/02\\\/Keolis-small.png\",\"width\":802,\"height\":535,\"caption\":\"Autonomous vehicles must be well-integrated into public transport systems if they are to take off in Europe's cities, say researchers.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1176\\\/driverless-shuttles-what-are-we-waiting-for\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Driverless shuttles: what are we waiting for?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/\",\"name\":\"Horizon Magazine Blog\",\"description\":\"The EU Research & Innovation Magazine\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Horizon Magazine Blog\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/eu-logo.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/eu-logo.jpg\",\"width\":601,\"height\":283,\"caption\":\"Horizon Magazine Blog\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/f09be7f5179eaa3cae47cef06afeb659\",\"name\":\"Julianna Photopoulos\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/8bf7c9a607c6355e5ebf41a5eb37fc4b9423a6dfae0b2e0b2db362cee841a1f1?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/8bf7c9a607c6355e5ebf41a5eb37fc4b9423a6dfae0b2e0b2db362cee841a1f1?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/8bf7c9a607c6355e5ebf41a5eb37fc4b9423a6dfae0b2e0b2db362cee841a1f1?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Julianna Photopoulos\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/author\\\/juliannaphotopoulos\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Driverless shuttles: what are we waiting for? - Horizon Magazine Blog","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1176\/driverless-shuttles-what-are-we-waiting-for\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Driverless shuttles: what are we waiting for?","og_description":"In the zero-carbon cities of the future, commuting to work may take the form of hailing a driverless shuttle through an app which ferries you from your door to the nearest public transport terminal. In fact, autonomous shuttles have been in development in restricted areas for the past few years.\u00a0So what will it take to ... Read more","og_url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1176\/driverless-shuttles-what-are-we-waiting-for\/","og_site_name":"Horizon Magazine Blog","article_published_time":"2020-02-25T17:09:45+00:00","article_modified_time":"2020-02-25T17:12:32+00:00","og_image":[{"width":802,"height":535,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/02\/Keolis-small.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Julianna Photopoulos","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Julianna Photopoulos","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1176\/driverless-shuttles-what-are-we-waiting-for\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1176\/driverless-shuttles-what-are-we-waiting-for\/"},"author":{"name":"Julianna Photopoulos","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#\/schema\/person\/f09be7f5179eaa3cae47cef06afeb659"},"headline":"Driverless shuttles: what are we waiting for?","datePublished":"2020-02-25T17:09:45+00:00","dateModified":"2020-02-25T17:12:32+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1176\/driverless-shuttles-what-are-we-waiting-for\/"},"wordCount":1206,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1176\/driverless-shuttles-what-are-we-waiting-for\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/02\/Keolis-small.png","articleSection":["Earth, Energy & Environment"],"inLanguage":"en-US","copyrightYear":"2020","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1176\/driverless-shuttles-what-are-we-waiting-for\/","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1176\/driverless-shuttles-what-are-we-waiting-for\/","name":"Driverless shuttles: what are we waiting for? - Horizon Magazine Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1176\/driverless-shuttles-what-are-we-waiting-for\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1176\/driverless-shuttles-what-are-we-waiting-for\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/02\/Keolis-small.png","datePublished":"2020-02-25T17:09:45+00:00","dateModified":"2020-02-25T17:12:32+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1176\/driverless-shuttles-what-are-we-waiting-for\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1176\/driverless-shuttles-what-are-we-waiting-for\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1176\/driverless-shuttles-what-are-we-waiting-for\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/02\/Keolis-small.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/02\/Keolis-small.png","width":802,"height":535,"caption":"Autonomous vehicles must be well-integrated into public transport systems if they are to take off in Europe's cities, say researchers."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1176\/driverless-shuttles-what-are-we-waiting-for\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Driverless shuttles: what are we waiting for?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#website","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/","name":"Horizon Magazine Blog","description":"The EU Research & Innovation Magazine","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#organization","name":"Horizon Magazine Blog","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/eu-logo.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/eu-logo.jpg","width":601,"height":283,"caption":"Horizon Magazine Blog"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#\/schema\/person\/f09be7f5179eaa3cae47cef06afeb659","name":"Julianna Photopoulos","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8bf7c9a607c6355e5ebf41a5eb37fc4b9423a6dfae0b2e0b2db362cee841a1f1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8bf7c9a607c6355e5ebf41a5eb37fc4b9423a6dfae0b2e0b2db362cee841a1f1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8bf7c9a607c6355e5ebf41a5eb37fc4b9423a6dfae0b2e0b2db362cee841a1f1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Julianna Photopoulos"},"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/author\/juliannaphotopoulos\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/02\/Keolis-small.png","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pgtNKV-iY","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3073,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/3073\/self-driving-trucks-en-route-to-transform-europes-freight-sector\/","url_meta":{"origin":1176,"position":0},"title":"Self-driving trucks: en route to transform Europe\u2019s freight sector","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"May 7, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"EU-funded researchers are accelerating the rollout of self-driving trucks on public roads to solve driver shortages and improve safety and sustainability in Europe\u2019s logistics sector. By B\u00e1rbara Pinho In the not-so-distant future, unusual looking cargo vehicles \u2013 sporting large black windscreens and with no human driver behind the wheel \u2013\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Earth, Energy & Environment"","block_context":{"text":"Earth, Energy & Environment","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/earth-energy-environment\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Researchers are preparing automated trucks equipped with cameras, sensors and radars to transport cargo on Europe\u2019s public roads. \u00a9 Einride","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/05\/06.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/05\/06.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/05\/06.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/05\/06.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":542,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/542\/athens-is-named-the-2018-european-capital-of-innovation\/","url_meta":{"origin":1176,"position":1},"title":"Athens is named the 2018 European capital of innovation","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"November 6, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Athens, Greece has been named the 2018 European Capital of Innovation for the innovative ways in which it has overcome\u00a0social and economic challenges and turned them into new opportunities.\u00a0 The \u20ac1 million iCapital first prize was announced at the Web Summit in Lisbon, Portugal on 6 November, with five other\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"environment\"","block_context":{"text":"environment","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/tag\/environment\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Image credit - Pixabay\/sman_5, licensed under CC0","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/11\/athens-1891719_1920.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/11\/athens-1891719_1920.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/11\/athens-1891719_1920.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/11\/athens-1891719_1920.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/11\/athens-1891719_1920.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/11\/athens-1891719_1920.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3055,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/3055\/self-driving-vehicles-the-road-to-cheaper-sustainable-urban-transport-in-europe\/","url_meta":{"origin":1176,"position":2},"title":"Self-driving vehicles: the road to cheaper, sustainable urban transport in Europe","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"April 23, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The future of urban mobility is near. EU-backed trials of driverless cars in public transport could make Europe\u2019s city centres affordable, cleaner, safer, more efficient, inclusive and fair. By Gareth Willmer In Groruddalen, a large urban valley in north-eastern Oslo, Norway, the groundwork is being laid for an important shift\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Science in Society"","block_context":{"text":"Science in Society","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/science-in-society\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"EU-funded researchers aim to improve public transport with the use of driverless vehicles, like the SUVs in the photo. \u00a9 Ruter As \/ Spoon, Nikolas Gostad, 2025","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/04\/22.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/04\/22.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/04\/22.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/04\/22.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2232,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/2232\/futuristic-fields-europes-farm-industry-on-cusp-of-robot-revolution\/","url_meta":{"origin":1176,"position":3},"title":"Futuristic fields: Europe\u2019s farm industry on cusp of robot revolution","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"December 7, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"From oxen to horses to tractors to robots: the European farm industry is poised to undergo another innovative disruption - this time brought about by artificial intelligence. By\u00a0\u00a0SOFIA STRODT In the Dutch province of Zeeland, a robot moves swiftly through a field of crops including sunflowers, shallots and onions. The\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Technology"","block_context":{"text":"Technology","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/technology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/12\/7-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/12\/7-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/12\/7-scaled.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/12\/7-scaled.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/12\/7-scaled.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/12\/7-scaled.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2477,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/2477\/preventing-outer-space-from-becoming-a-hazardous-junkyard\/","url_meta":{"origin":1176,"position":4},"title":"Preventing outer space from becoming a hazardous junkyard","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"August 31, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"As the number of objects launched into orbit grows, the EU is working to prevent debris from getting out of hand. By\u00a0GARETH WILLMER An upsurge in worldwide rocket and satellite launches into space means collisions are an increasing danger that EU research projects are seeking to curb. The number of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Earth, Energy & Environment"","block_context":{"text":"Earth, Energy & Environment","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/earth-energy-environment\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/08\/31.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/08\/31.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/08\/31.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/08\/31.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":749,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/749\/a-cookbook-for-vehicle-manufacturers-getting-automated-parts-to-talk-to-each-other\/","url_meta":{"origin":1176,"position":5},"title":"A \u2018cookbook\u2019 for vehicle manufacturers: Getting automated parts to talk to each other","author":"Sandrine Ceurstemont","date":"March 28, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Semi-autonomous cars are expected to hit the roads in Europe next year with truck convoys following a few years later. But before different brands can share the roads, vehicle manufacturers need to agree on standards for automated functions. Automation will increasingly allow vehicles to take over certain aspects of driving.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Technology"","block_context":{"text":"Technology","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/technology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Image credit - MAN Truck & Bus","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/03\/cover_crop.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/03\/cover_crop.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/03\/cover_crop.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/03\/cover_crop.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/03\/cover_crop.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/03\/cover_crop.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1176","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/317"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1176"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1176\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1177"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1176"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1176"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1176"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}