Image courtesy: Transport Systems Catapult
An interdisciplinary team from the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) and the Bristol Robotics Laboratory is playing a key role in development of Connected Autonomous vehicles (CAVs) that have the potential to transform the lives of isolated older adults through creation of independent travel options.
The ‘Flourish’ project co-funded by Innovate UK involves partners from across the South West who will work together to develop a CAV that integrates the mobility needs of older adults with a secure and connected infrastructure.
The development has the potential to revolutionise mobility for older adults, reducing loneliness and giving people who do not drive the freedom to make spontaneous choices without relying on others.
The work also promises to lead to thousands of new jobs in the South West, in supply chain and product development.
The project will be based in the Bristol City Region and will test capabilities in both urban and suburban networked environments. UWE Bristol’s partners for the £10m project include Atkins Limited, Age UK, Airbus Group Limited, React AI Ltd (Aiseedo), AXA UK plc, Bristol City Council, Imtech Traffic & Infra UK Limited, Office for Public Management Ltd, South Gloucestershire Council, Designability, Transport Systems Catapult, TSS – Transport Simulation Systems Ltd, and the University of Bristol.
