UWB showcases future mobility technologies at Smart Mobility Day

Autonomous driving, robotics, smart sensors, and electromobility. The University of West Bohemia presented ten technology exhibits in Prague’s Holešovice district. Visitors could not only see many of the technologies, but also try some of them for themselves.

More than 2,000 people attended Smart Mobility Day at the Prague Exhibition Grounds in Holešovice. The event, held on the penultimate Saturday of September, also featured new developments in transportation and autonomous driving presented by three technical faculties of the University of West Bohemia (UWB) in Pilsen. They offered visitors a glimpse of technologies developed in collaboration with researchers and students alike. Visitors could also try out some of the exhibits.

A nearly two-meter-tall 3D-printed crane was among the exhibits presented by the Faculty of Applied Sciences at UWB. Thanks to a special control system, the machine can lift loads while preventing them from swinging. “To stabilize the load, a wireless sensor is needed. It can also be connected to a full-size crane. Our partners are currently testing it in Italy,” explained Ondřej Severa from the NTIS research center. Pilsen researchers also demonstrated their swing-damping system using a flying harness. Visitors could also try reversing a trailer made up of several connected trailers or learn about Crazyflie drones.

The Faculty of Electrical Engineering brought to Prague, among other things, a demonstration of an autonomous driving solution based on a drive-by-wire system, in which the vehicle’s movement is controlled entirely by an electronic control unit. “The faculty presented the latest technologies it is involved in developing, as well as opportunities for students and new researchers to get involved,” said Roman Pechánek from the Department of Power Electronics and Electrical Drives.

Students from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering also represented UWB at the exhibition grounds. They presented a robotic vehicle designed for exploring Mars. It was developed by the UWB Robotics student team, which also takes its rover to competitions for simulated space missions. “Visitors had the opportunity to take a look behind the scenes of mobile robotic rover competitions. Our team members introduced them not only to the rover itself but also to the development of such a complex device. In addition to the rover, they could see several technology demonstrators that provided insight into our activities,” said team leader Václav Mašek, a doctoral student at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering.

Smart Mobility Day featured a professional conference, a popular science stage, and an exhibition area showcasing smart technologies and development prototypes. Visitors could see delivery robots, a self-driving road-sweeping vehicle, and student-built Formula cars, among other exhibits. UWB also presented its own Formula car, developed by students from four of the university's faculties.

The main aim of the annual Smart Mobility Day is to bring the world of modern transportation to the public, moving it from testing grounds and development centers directly to the Prague Exhibition Grounds. The event is organized by Valeo in cooperation with partners from the automotive industry, transport research, smart city sector, and technical universities and secondary schools.