Kent Larson, director of the changing places research group at MIT Media Lab, on Wednesday said that a strong policy should be in place in busy cities like Bangalore to address traffic congestions and mobility issues in India.
He was speaking on the subject, Ubiquitous Technologies, at EmTech India 2011, organized by MIT's Technology Review India magazine here.
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“A more sophisticated approach is required to minimise the traffic and mobility issues in the cities like Bangalore. A combination of good policy and effective mechanisms are essential and the authorities need to find local solutions to resolve local issues,” he said.
Larson also said it is impossible to stop the movement of people to urban areas in countries like India, as they offer more opportunities to people particularly women.
New energy sources should be discovered
“The MIT is looking at a future where 80 per cent of the total world population moving to cities. In such a scenario, it is very important that issues like energy shortage is addressed effectively. New energy sources should be discovered and more efficient buildings and mobility system should come in place,” he said.
Larson also put forward some suggestions to meet the mobility issues, saying the MIT is working with various companies to develop cutting-edge technologies to address the issues in busy cities. He also displayed various models of cutting-edge technologies which could be implemented in busy cities across the globe.
Technology to help vehicles change form
Larson suggested an agile chassis for cars and other light-medium vehicles which he expects would resolve traffic congestions to a large extent.
“We are working on a technology which would help cars and other light-medium vehicles to change its form in accordance with the situation. It means that a car can compress its shape during peak hours without disturbing the passengers inside,” he said.
He also proposed some solutions like mass customization, fleet management, urban deployment and sensing and algorithms to face the challenges faced by cities across the globe.
He was speaking on the subject, Ubiquitous Technologies, at EmTech India 2011, organized by MIT's Technology Review India magazine here.
Also read: Indian telecom lacks passion for innovation
“A more sophisticated approach is required to minimise the traffic and mobility issues in the cities like Bangalore. A combination of good policy and effective mechanisms are essential and the authorities need to find local solutions to resolve local issues,” he said.
Larson also said it is impossible to stop the movement of people to urban areas in countries like India, as they offer more opportunities to people particularly women.
New energy sources should be discovered
“The MIT is looking at a future where 80 per cent of the total world population moving to cities. In such a scenario, it is very important that issues like energy shortage is addressed effectively. New energy sources should be discovered and more efficient buildings and mobility system should come in place,” he said.
Larson also put forward some suggestions to meet the mobility issues, saying the MIT is working with various companies to develop cutting-edge technologies to address the issues in busy cities. He also displayed various models of cutting-edge technologies which could be implemented in busy cities across the globe.
Technology to help vehicles change form
Larson suggested an agile chassis for cars and other light-medium vehicles which he expects would resolve traffic congestions to a large extent.
“We are working on a technology which would help cars and other light-medium vehicles to change its form in accordance with the situation. It means that a car can compress its shape during peak hours without disturbing the passengers inside,” he said.
He also proposed some solutions like mass customization, fleet management, urban deployment and sensing and algorithms to face the challenges faced by cities across the globe.
Designing living spaces disabled
Larson also explained how the use of ubiquitous sensing/computational technologies in a laboratory resembling a home, has made it possible to develop algorithms which could aid architects in designing living spaces to closely relate to the unique needs of a particular individual.
These algorithms can then be used, with the specifications of standard, off-the-shelf furnishings, fittings and furniture, to design the interiors of the made-to-order living space. All this can be done without incurring huge costs since standard items are used," he said. He added that this technique is particularly useful in designing living spaces for the special needs of handicapped persons.
Larson’s team has used this technique of placing sensors around a home and on the persons occupying the home to detect waste of lighting and air-conditioning energy.
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