Smart mobility advances through autonomous vehicle behavior models and connectivity

The Instituto de Biomecánica (IBV) is coordinating the European BERTHA project, which involves 14 partners from six countries. The initiative aims to develop a Driver Behavior Model (DBM) to make autonomous vehicles safer and more predictable. By integrating modules for perception, cognition, affective-emotional response, and motor control, the project seeks to ensure autonomous cars interact with pedestrians and cyclists in a way that mimics human-like behavior, fostering social acceptance.

In parallel, the evolution of smart mobility is driving a need for advanced connectivity across urban and extra-urban environments. In Italy, data from the Politecnico di Milano indicates that 16.9 million connected cars are currently in circulation. Companies like INWIT are focusing on providing the multi-operator mobile network infrastructure necessary to support traffic management, predictive maintenance, and safety services in complex environments such as tunnels, bridges, and highways.