The UV, through the IRTIC and INTRAS, has carried out a project of R&D&i based on the development of some systems with a powerful technological base for their implementation in the campaign ‘House of Knowledge’ of the biggest petrol company in the world, Saudi Aramco. It is an initiative used to raise awareness in society using cutting edge technologies in safe driving and in an appropriate behaviour.

The University Research Institute on Robotics and Information and Communication Technologies (IRTIC), in direct collaboration with the University Research Institute on Traffic and Road Safety (INTRAS), both of the UV, have carried out a project in R&D&i, based on the development of diverse systems with a powerful technological base, for their implementation in the campaign ‘House of Knowledge’ of the biggest petrol company in the world, Saudi Aramco.

The project aims at raising awareness and educating in an entertaining way through cutting edge technologies (Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality, Simulation, etc.) in the values of safe driving and an appropriate behaviour related to traffic. This is of utmost importance in a country such as Saudi Arabia, which, in spite of having a smaller vehicle fleet than in Spain, there are more than 7000 deaths each year on its roads.

In this sense, in an effort addressed to approach technology to the Saudi society, in a very flashy manner to draw people’s attention and that way making visitors aware of this situation, some systems have been developed. These systems include rollover simulators (RollOver Simulator), where it is brought to light the importance of the safety belt in a collision with a rollover; a Cine5D, where they want to make visitors aware of good practices that must be carried out to have a safer driving; and some applications for smartphones and tablets with which the youngest of the family can also learn.

This project can be highlighted among the rest of projects developed in the IRTIC, since it is the first one which uses a great amount of Spanish technology and a big amount of economic volume which is entirely exported to the Middle East country. This claim has been pointed out by Marcos Fernández, main researcher of the project and secretary of IRTIC. “After some years exploring the foreign market we have managed to establish the appropriate trade and scientific relations to start exporting technology to diverse Arabian countries”, he adds.

The campaign of Saudi Aramco, in the framework of the company’s social action, started on Thursday 8 December and some exhibitions in the main cities of the country during the next two years are planned.

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