By MDS , November 9 2020

The Transit Tech Lab, a program focused on identifying and testing innovative transport-based technologies, has screened several technologies that can improve network service and enhance the user experience.

The lab offers a quick and cost-effective way to test and review new technologies developed by innovators around the world. In July it has launched a new challenge to find technological solutions to be applied to transport in the fight against Covid-19 on public transport.

The fight against covid-19 on public transport

"The finalist innovations of our Covid-19 Response Challenge can help combat Covid-19 in the transport field at this critical moment"Says Rachel Haot, Executive Director of Transit Tech Lab. The eight finalists will soon begin testing their products over an eight-week trial period. Here they are.

1.Groupe CASPR

CASPR is air-operated disinfection technology to provide continuous air and surface protection without harmful chemicals and without the use of operators.

Its most compact device, you can see it in the photo, it is 30 centimeters high and weighs 4,5kg. Alone it is able to sanitize up to 500 square meters of environment, eliminating bad smells and killing up to 99,6% of pathogenic organisms in the air and on surfaces. Viruses and bacteria. In the coming weeks CASPR will test a specific version for public transport.

2.CitySwift

Brian O'Rourke and Allan Farrelly, founders of CitySwift

Created and supported by bus industry experts, CitySwift uses big data, artificial intelligence and machine learning to increase network performance, service reliability and passenger satisfaction.

The data engine The CitySwift bus expands and integrates seamlessly with existing technologies to accurately predict travel times and vehicle capacity levels. It can therefore create optimized timetables that balance vehicle supply with passenger demand. A tool that today can make the difference to fight Covid-19 on public transport, and tomorrow it will improve transport by eliminating delays and crowding.

3.Kinnos

Kinnos allows, trivially, to see the disinfection being carried out. Technology it is the basis of a colored powder formulation that covers all the treated surfaces. In this way it is also possible to understand which points have not yet been touched by a cleaning. The active ingredient then dissolves in simple diluted bleach without leaving a trace.

It can help address several key issues in disinfecting Covid-19 on public transport. First of all, the poor disinfection "techniques". Even the less experienced will be able to clean in depth, helped by the color support. Later on, even household products can have this trick: it will be easier to be aware of how often our cleaning is not accurate.

4.Strongarm

The core of Strongarm's work is the development of one wearable technology that promotes worker safety and social distancing. The device, a sort of "gun holster" to be worn over the shoulder, incorporates several sensors that can provide the wearer with a range of information. Use machine learning, for example, to capture and analyze the risk of musculoskeletal injuries. This device can warn, for example, if the incorrect posture assumed when lifting a weight can cause damage to the back.

Strongarm will test a "light" version that allows public transport operators to remain spaced out in the workplace, alerting them if a given safety distance is violated. It will track daily contacts (a sort of wearable "immune") and will provide detailed reports to guide you in case of contagion.

5.Vyv

La lumière LED de VYV peut avoir une apparence à la fois plus «solide» et rassurante, comme celle de la lumière violette, ou prendre une couleur blanche normale. La photo n'est pas un filtre, je viens de mettre les deux modes ensemble.

Vyv is one continuous antimicrobial light non-UV which reduces bacteria on surfaces. The company brings into the new millennium the theories of two centuries ago. The first publication citing the antimicrobial efficacy of the 400-420 nm visible light region was at the Royal Indian Engineering College in London in 1892, where filters were used with sunlight to determine their germicidal properties.

The main difference between UV-C light and Vyv's blue-violet visible wavelengths (which, I repeat, are not UV. They are LEDs) is that only Vyv meets international standards forcontinuous and unlimited use around humans. UV rays are dangerous for humans, these are not. A big difference, do you think? Studies aim to test a version of VyV light that is also effective on Sars-CoV2.

If the 8-week tests yield positive results, the companies will be selected for a one-year pilot program. The target? Implement the technology on a large scale. to implement the technology on a larger scale.

Gianluca Riccio Futuroprossimo