The Interreg VI programme area, and thus also the Euroregion Rhine-Waal, is burdened by one of the largest transport flows in Europe. Every day, approximately 40,000 semi-trailers drive through the region, and in the programme area alone there are 70,000 semi-trailers, of which approximately 23,000 are on the road every day. This means that 50 kilotonnes of CO2, equivalent to the emissions of 12 million cars, and 44 tonnes of tyre dust and microplastics, equivalent to the tyre dust of 220 million cars, are emitted.
The transport sector and industry want to make semi-trailer transport more sustainable, but so far there is no practical solution for signalling tyre damage before it is visible to the naked eye. Current monitoring systems cannot detect deviations in time. As a result, tyres wear out faster and fuel consumption increases. The RAS project aims to reduce emissions by monitoring the alignment of semi-trailers. This allows timely action to be taken, avoiding additional fuel costs and unnecessary emissions. RAS therefore offers a practical solution to the challenges of semi-trailer alignment.
RAS is being developed from a validated system (TRL5) into a functioning prototype in a realistic environment (TRL7), in which applications and new findings in the fields of AI, data science, sensor fusion and embedded software are strengthening the innovative power of the sector. The development is made possible by cross-border cooperation in a consortium with Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences, HAN University of Applied Sciences, Trigolign BV, Innotronic GmbH and R. Mutra Service B.V.
The project will run until the end of 2027 and has a total budget of €1,224,276.90. The project partners are contributing €451,802.05 of their own funds. As part of the Interreg programme Deutschland-Nederland, an amount of €772,474.85 is being co-financed by the EU, the Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Industrie, Klimaschutz und Energie des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen, MB Niedersachsen, the Ministerie van Economische Zaken and the Provincie Gelderland.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
