Delivery drones and kite-powered tug boats take share of £2m government funding

Autonomous drones for rural deliveries, kite-powered tug boats and recycled paving materials are amongst over 67 transport technology projects receiving government funding.

The £1.96m for development and testing was announced today (6 June) by technology minister Jesse Norman as part of the government’s Transport Research and Innovation Grant (Trig) programme.

The Trig programme aims to encourage engineers and other innovators to develop ‘blue sky’ research into real world solutions to address some of transport’s most pressing issues, such as decarbonisation.

“From making travelling easier for visually impaired passengers to improving rural connectivity, these winning projects have the potential to transform the future of transport,” said Norman.

“The government wants the UK to be a world leader in the future of transport and, through the Trig programme, the Department for Transport is supporting innovators and businesses to decarbonise and improve transport while growing the economy and supporting jobs across the UK.”

Some of the winning projects include:

• Makesense Technology to create an app that uses augmented reality to create bespoke walking routes to help visually impaired travellers move around railway stations
• Bluewater Engineering to develop its Skytug system, which uses large kites to tow ships at the same speed as a traditionally-powered craft, which could help reduce the use of polluting engines
• Iona Logistics to explore how autonomous drones could deliver small packages to hard-to-reach rural areas quicker and for less money
• Port of Tyne to explore the viability of using remote-controlled and automated heavy-duty robots to replace HGVs 
• CC Informatics to explore the use of drones to create 3D digital models of structures, such as bridges and rail tracks, to identify cracks and defects in the structures
• Imperial College London to research the use of Kiacrete – a new type of paving made from recycled materials – instead of concrete.

This year’s winners bring the total amount invested through the Trig programme to over £12m since it launched in 2014, funding nearly 300 projects. The programme is delivered in partnership with the Connected Places Catapult.