By Sylvio Mode, President of Autodesk Brazil
Is it really that cars are the great villains of cities, especially if we think about mobility issues? The truth is that the problem is much broader. According to Wikipedia, “urban mobility is the condition in which people and loads move in the urban space of a city. Thus, it is obtained through transport and circulation policies that aim to improve accessibility and mobility, through the prioritization of collective and non-motorized modes of transport in an effective, socially inclusive and ecologically sustainable way”.
That said, is it possible, in such a broad structure of the Brazilian territory, to think of a single and comprehensive solution? Possibly not, Brazil has 26 states, with completely different cultures, growth, infrastructure, demographics. Even if we reduce the scope to the main capitals, there is no mobility solution model that can fit in most of them.
We know that the disorderly expansion and growth of cities ended up creating urban spaces – for the most part – geared towards private car transport, to the detriment of collective transport. Brazilian culture itself (which has gradually changed with the accessibility of bikes) still associates the car with characteristics such as status, comfort and freedom. The overcrowded pattern of public transport also does not contribute to people choosing to leave their car at home.
Brazil must have urban mobility policies aimed at building smarter, more sustainable and accessible cities. In addition, we need to discuss consequences such as increased pollution and emissions that cause the greenhouse effect. According to the Mobilize Brasil portal, in the country alone, the fleet of automobiles and motorcycles grew by around 400% in the last ten years.
Much has already been done in several countries, and technology has been a great ally in this process. And thanks to these advances, it is possible to expand the solutions and also allow new perspectives for urban planning. It is important to emphasize the importance of investments in rail systems, such as subways, trains and modern trams (VLTs), clean fuel buses, smart traffic lights, cameras and integration between systems and accessible sidewalks for all people, in addition to other trends that have come to stay, such as bike lanes and car and bike sharing.
An important mobility project, which involved Autodesk software in its conception, is being developed by a startup from Florianópolis, Mobilis, created by three engineers, whose mission is to find intelligent solutions for urban mobility problems. The project resulted in the launch of the “Li”, the first 100% Brazilian electric car, powered by lithium-ion batteries. The car is powered by Autodesk Fusion 360TM software, an agile tool that contributes to the creation and design of innovative products.
The project presents several innovations related to the user interface, some of which are unprecedented in the Brazilian automotive market. To give you an idea, the vehicle has login start, an online predictive maintenance system, through which, connected with the factory, you can predict system problems before they happen. Also a head up display with projection of important data such as the speedometer and battery charge, fleet management system (TrackLi), among others, is present.
This is an important step for us Brazilians in building a more sustainable model of urban mobility. Among the benefits, in addition to reducing pollutants and financial savings in supply, these cars reduce the noise level of cities. The Brazilian government is also analyzing measures for tax incentives (tax reduction) so that production is viable for automakers and acquisition possible for drivers.
This is just one of the examples focusing on digital transformation. But it is yet another urban mobility item to be adopted in Brazil. It is technology moving the economy, betting on sustainability and, above all, quality of life.
Disclaimer: The opinion presented in this article is the responsibility of its author and not of ABES - Brazilian Association of Software Companies
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