The CulturalRoad consortium recently convened in Barcelona for our first General Assembly on 22 and 23 January, kindly hosted by our partners FICOSA, CARNET, and UPC. Over two days, project partners engaged in in-depth discussions, exchanged insights, and explored technological advancements to drive forward CulturalRoad’s mission.
Strategic Discussions and Knowledge Sharing
The first day of the meeting focused on the impact of cultural and geographical diversity on Connected, Cooperative and Automated Mobility (CCAM) deployment. Partners engaged in detailed discussions on the CulturalRoad Five-Pointed Star Rating System, which evaluates five pillars of equity: safety, inclusivity, network efficiency, user acceptance, and psychological factors. These exchanges helped refine key performance indicators (KPIs) and align strategic objectives.
A highlight of the day was a visit to the FICOSA facilities, where partners learned more about the company’s latest developments in perception algorithms and predictive mobility technologies. FICOSA presented an advanced deep-learning-based predictive model designed to enhance pedestrian detection. Using a car-mounted camera, the system analyses pedestrian movement and head direction to anticipate their next steps, ensuring safer and more adaptive mobility solutions. The technology also identifies diverse user groups, including individuals with disabilities, enabling vehicles to respond more effectively to different scenarios. In addition, FICOSA developed algorithms for object detection and parking mark detection to further enhance safety, as well as data anonymisation to ensure compliance with European regulations.
Strengthening Collaboration and Planning Next Steps
The second day was dedicated to strategic project management, communication, knowledge transfer, exploitation, and capacity building. We were delighted to welcome representatives from our sister project, Diversify-CCAM, to explore synergies and joint activities. Diversify-CCAM develops tools and methods to support the design of future shared autonomous mobility in Europe that integrate social diversities – a vision that strongly aligns with CulturalRoad.
Looking ahead, the consortium is preparing for the CulturalRoad Multi-Stakeholder Launch Workshop, planned in March 2025. This key event will introduce CulturalRoad’s methodologies and expected outcomes to a wide audience, fostering engagement and gathering valuable feedback – stay tuned for more details soon!
The CulturalRoad project continues to build momentum, driven by collaboration, innovation, and a shared vision of sustainable and inclusive mobility. Follow us on LinkedIn and subscribe to our newsletter (see form at the bottom of the page) for the most recent updates.
