Funding for innovation
Safer roadworks, more efficient urban freight movement and better shared spaces for different transport users are the focus of up to $3.7 million of funding from the second round of the Waka Kotahi innovation fund Hoe ki angitu.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency received more than 90 applications for the second round from the $15m fund which was launched in June 2022 to help accelerate innovative solutions to the country’s transport challenges.
“Innovation needs to be at the forefront of how we tackle our transport challenges. We’re a country of thinkers and doers, and every one of these projects has the potential to make a positive and significant impact to our environment and our communities,” says Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency manager future transport Lee McKenzie.
Fifteen applications were approved in this round, which asked applicants to respond to three key challenges: making roadworks safer for workers and other road users; reducing the impact of increased freight in urban environments; and improving safety and efficiency for people using different modes of transport in the same space.
Projects included: $100,000 for the development of a road-worker alerting solution that will monitor vehicles and people at roadworks sites.
It will use multiple connected cameras and haptic sensors to alert road workers of risks;
$525,163 for further development of an existing tool for use at temporary traffic management sites. The tool combines portable hardware, artificial intelligence (AI) and computer vision to alert contractors and the public of risks in real time to achieve safer and smarter roadworks;
and $208,000 for the development of an eco-friendly, low emission vehicle rental platform for gig economy workers, based around the creation of a hub for storage and rental of e-cargo bikes.
This innovation aims to reduce the environmental impact caused by urban deliveries by enabling easy use of clean, on-demand vehicle options for gig workers.
A list of successful applications can be found on: https://www.nzta.govt.nz/about-us/innovations/innovation-fund/
