Robots and drones could ease Portsmouth's traffic congestion, say UTC students working with city council's regeneration team

The students from UTC Portsmouth have come up with a range of robotic solutions to the city’s traffic woes on behalf of the council’s regeneration team.

Four groups of students have studied how robots have eased traffic in cities around the UK and overseas and come up with four proposals for tackling the problem in Portsmouth.

The proposals included a fast-acting communal composting system and a fleet of hydrogen-powered water shuttles around Portsmouth Harbour, as well as a personalised online security system to protect delivery drones and robots, and a Portsmouth-built autonomous delivery robot that can collect shopping.

The proposals have impressed a panel of transport and regeneration specialists, according to Councillor Hugh Mason, the council’s cabinet member for planning policy and city development.

Cllr Mason said: ‘I was very impressed with the imagination and ingenuity on display from the students at UTC Portsmouth. They had carefully considered the brief and each group identified key challenges facing cities as we look for greener ways to transport people and goods. They devised interesting solutions to these challenges, drawing on their studies at UTC Portsmouth as well as seeking input from other projects and experts around the world.

‘With the creative ideas and the technical know-how of these students, I think we can expect to see an exciting future ahead for Portsmouth.’

Alex Blandford, assistant principal at UTC Portsmouth said the project has helped raise the students’ career aspirations.

The assistant principal said: ‘Our students are extremely fortunate to have benefitted from the expertise of so many individuals involved in this project.

‘Not only are they gaining an understanding of how their city is focusing on regeneration and the part that cutting edge technology plays in it, but they are learning key skills in communication, teamwork and problem solving along the way.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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