The OpenSpace project employed digital twinning and AI to tackle disruptions at rail stations. Credit: Sergii Figurnyi/Shutterstock.

The UK Department for Transport (DOT) has announced the winners of a £1.4m ($1.8m) competition, designed to spur innovation and economic growth within the transport sector.

The funding, aimed at supporting sustainable and efficient transport network solutions, aligns with the government’s goals for a greener future.

In total, 32 projects have been awarded a share of the funding, with inventions that promise to reduce pollution, improve pedestrian safety, and stimulate job creation.

The Transport Research and Innovation Grant (TRIG) programme, with an investment exceeding £15m ($19.4m), has been pivotal in fostering new technologies and collaborations that contribute to national economic expansion.

This year’s competition emphasised local transport decarbonisation, maritime decarbonisation, and the integration of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and drones.

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Among the recipients are Vox Aeris, which is developing a method to mitigate pollution across transport networks using sound waves and music vibrations from speakers.

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Another project is OpenSpace, a previous TRIG winner, which utilised digital twinning and AI to address disruptions at rail stations, including creating a real-time simulated environment of St Pancras station to enhance operations and customer service.

The project transformed St Pancras into a synthetic environment through 3D light detection and ranging (LiDAR) scanning and automated object annotation (e.g., doors, air vents).

It used GDPR-compliant cameras to capture people movement and integrated live mobility data feeds (e.g., train, tube, and bus arrivals) to create a dynamic virtual experience.

Connected Places Catapult CEO Erika Lewis said: “Innovation in transport can unlock many benefits for society, the economy and the environment.

“The Transport Research and Innovation Grants programme has been supporting high-potential innovators for a decade, through funding and dedicated business support, helping them realise their commercial potential.

“This year’s TRIG competition drew a fantastic response from innovators, with the ‘Critical and Emerging Technologies’ challenge proving to be especially popular.”

TRIG has supported over 430 projects, ranging from a shuttle bus app to connect rural communities to trials for hydrogen-fuelled planes and boats.