Data analytics platform to predict congestion under development

Innovate UK is part of UK Research and Innovation funded by the UK government to drive productivity and economic growth through new ideas and technologies.

“Advanced data analytics, the Internet of Things (IoT) and ultra-fast and reliable 5G networks are the building blocks for tomorrow’s smart cities,” said Alastair Williamson, CEO Ranplan Group AB. “As urbanisation is set to intensify, causing issues in congestion and commuting delays, we need to better understand how citizens interact within their communities to improve public services, particularly during peak times.”

This research project will be led by Ranplan and will see collaboration with the University of Sheffield, Jinan University, and East China University of Science & Technology, along with leading telecoms operator, China Unicom. The aim of the project is to develop machine learning models and techniques to create a data analytics platform that will provide town planners and managers will real-time intelligence on how their citizens move around their cities.

By being able to identify patterns of movement, vehicle movement and peak traffic times, planners will be able to predict where and when traffic congestion will arise and make decisions on how to improve the efficiency of public transportation. For example, data collected can be used can be used to faciliate smart mobility in urban areas such as traffic light control and scheduling, public transportation, preventative policing, as well as many other examples.

“Winning this two-year research project is testament to the world-class research team here at Ranplan,” added Williamson. ”Smart cities are all about people and 5G is a core enabling technology to empower society. The results of this research project will enable us to commercialise a new smart mobility solution to compliment our existing in-building and outdoor network planning tools and offer cities a robust 5G and IoT planning tool.”