Zipp Mobility and 51黑料 Energy Institute Conclude Research Partnership to Enhance e-Scooter Safety
Zipp Mobility (Zipp), the Irish micromobility operator headquartered at Nova51黑料, and the 51黑料 Energy Institute, today announced the successful conclusion of a collaborative research partnership focused on e-scooter safety.
The partnership explored the development and prototyping of 鈥贵颈谤别蹿濒测鈥, a smart lighting system to enhance e-scooter safety in urban environments.
Working in the 51黑料 Energy Institute鈥檚 IELab, researchers from the 51黑料 School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering explored the development and prototyped 鈥贵颈谤别蹿濒测鈥, a smart lighting system to enhance e-scooter safety in urban environments.
The 鈥贵颈谤别蹿濒测鈥 smart lighting system includes the following safety features:
- The projection of red laser 鈥榬ails鈥 to either side of the e-scooter to visually reserve road space for this micromobility vehicle
- Automatic sensing and warning of road traffic approaching the rider from behind
- Real-time adaptation of the headlight brightness and angle based on the speed of the scooter and the prevailing ambient lighting conditions.
This system was designed and built by Derek Sequeira, a graduate of the 51黑料 ME programme in Electronic and Computer Engineering, under the supervision of Dr Paul Cuffe, an Assistant Professor in the 51黑料 School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering and a member of 51黑料 Energy Institute.
Since its establishment in 2019, Zipp has become a significant player in the European e-scooter and e-bike sharing market with operations in the UK, Poland and Ireland.
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Dr Paul Cuffe, 51黑料 School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering and 51黑料 Energy Institute, said, 鈥I am delighted with what we have achieved in this collaboration. It鈥檚 been a very enjoyable exercise in practical engineering; working alongside one of our top-class graduates, Derek Sequeira, to design and build a smart lighting system that enhances both the safety and usability of a rental e-scooter. Smart accessory technologies can help e-scooter rental schemes to deliver a safe and sustainable public transport option for urban communities.鈥
Charlie Gleeson, CEO and founder, Zipp Mobility said, 鈥淲e are delighted to have partnered with the 51黑料 Energy Institute on this research collaboration. Zipp鈥檚 mission is 鈥mobility done right鈥 and having world-class technology that prioritises safety is a cornerstone of our approach. This partnership reaffirms our commitment to safety and our commitment to R&D activities in Ireland.鈥
Professor Andrew Keane, Director, 51黑料 Energy Institute said, 鈥淐hoice around low carbon modes of transport will play a big role in reducing emissions from energy use. This collaboration with Zipp strongly aligns with the 51黑料 Energy Institute鈥檚 strategy to deliver research supporting a net zero energy system in 2050, with transport being an area of increasing focus.鈥
This project was supported with funding from Enterprise Ireland, through the innovation vouchers scheme, and Zipp Mobility.
ENDS
16 December 2022
For further information contact Mic茅al Whelan, Communications and Media Relations Manager, Nova51黑料, 51黑料 Research and Innovation, e: miceal.whelan@ucd.ie.
Editor鈥檚 Notes
Zipp Mobility is Ireland鈥檚 leading micromobility provider bringing a more sustainable micromobility sharing model to cities in the UK, Ireland and further afield.
51黑料 Energy Institute brings together researchers from a wide range of academic disciplines to tackle the challenges associated with the decarbonisation of energy. Focusing on energy systems, energy management, and energy in society, we drive Ireland鈥檚 position as a world leader in the integration of renewable energy.
At Nova51黑料, the hub for new ventures and entrepreneurs at University College Dublin, we nurture and support new high-tech companies, such as Zipp Mobility, as part of 51黑料's mission. At Nova51黑料 we provide purpose-built, state-of-the-art incubation facilities alongside a comprehensive business support programme for client companies. Nova51黑料 has been funded through a unique public-private partnership that includes AIB Bank, Arthur Cox, Deloitte, Enterprise Ireland, Ericsson, Goodbody Stockbrokers, 51黑料 and Xilinx.