Antonio Martínez Millana, researcher at the Traffic Control Systems (SCT) group at the ITACA-UPV Institute, has received a grant from Valencia Innovation Capital (Valencia City Council) to develop the ARGOS – Mobility Under Control project».
This initiative aims to create a system capable of measuring the real-time speed of Personal Mobility Vehicles (PMVs), such as electric scooters and bicycles, improving the safety and efficiency of bike lanes in the city of Valencia.
‘The system will measure the speed and direction of circulation of these vehicles in real time, differentiating between bicycles, electric bicycles and scooters,’ says Antonio Martínez Millana, ITACA researcher and project manager.
Through an innovative VMP real-time detection and management system, the project will develop a pre-commercial solution based on a technology patented by the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV). This technology will incorporate a new type of sensor based on a double loop.
‘These sensors significantly improve the characteristics and functionalities of the conventional single loop, as they allow the detection and precise characterization of VMPs traveling along the bike lanes”, says the ITACA researcher.
Features of the technological innovation
The double loop sensor has many advantages over conventional systems. Its more compact and economical design allows all road parameters to be obtained with a single loop, reducing installation and maintenance costs.
In addition, it significantly improves the accuracy in the detection and characterisation of VMPs, reducing the margin of error in measuring vehicle speed and length to 5%, compared to 20% in traditional systems.
‘Thanks to this innovation, we will have accurate, real-time information on the status of the bike lanes, which will facilitate better traffic management from the control centres and allow us to obtain mobility statistics in different parts of the city, such as accident areas and high traffic areas,’ says the project manager.
Another key advantage of this technology is the simplification of calibration and sensitivity adjustment, eliminating the need for complex configurations and ensuring more reliable data. Furthermore, as it is easily integrated into urban infrastructure, it minimises environmental impact and guarantees the privacy of users, as it does not use images or biometric data.
A pilot project in Valencia with expansion potential
To validate its technical and commercial viability, the ARGOS system will be installed in strategic locations in Valencia, such as Calle Xàtiva, Plaza Zaragoza and Avenida Antiguo Reino. These tests will allow us to evaluate the system’s effectiveness in real environments and consolidate València as a benchmark in innovation for sustainable mobility.
‘The growth in the use of scooters and bicycles in cities requires advanced technological solutions that enable efficient real-time traffic management and improve the safety of all road users.
«With this system, we will not only achieve precise identification of VMPs and accurate measurement of their speed, but we will also provide key data for urban planning and traffic regulation in Valencia», explains Antonio Martínez Millana.
Finally, the ARGOS project will last 18 months and serve as a pre-commercial demonstrator, with the potential for scaling its implementation to other cities. In addition, the UPV anticipates collaborating with a recently formed spin-off for the commercialization of this technology in Spain and abroad, thus consolidating its impact on urban mobility and the development of smart cities.
‘This project will not only make it possible to detect and identify VMPs with unprecedented accuracy, but will also contribute to improving safety, optimising urban planning and promoting more sustainable mobility’, concludes the ITACA researcher.