Projects

MIA: Multimodal Interchange Assistant

Implementing public mobility services through a personalized assistant

Funding: ICSC Innovation Funds

Enabling technology: Artificial Intelligence, LLM, Machine Learning

Sustainable Development Goals

Public mobility services are currently a fragmented set of options for getting around urban areas, but not yet a real alternative to the private car. To make public transport more appealing, using it needs to be as simple for the end user as getting in a car and driving to a destination. MIA, a mobility assistant focused on trip planning, aims to solve this problem by making public transport travel easier and more reliable, offering plans and recommendations tailored to each user based on a wide range of variables — including the real-time state of city mobility, weather conditions, and the user’s needs or preferences.

National Centre for HPC, Big Data and Quantum Computing (ICSC), a project funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU – and by Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) – Mission 4, Component 2.

Objectives

The main goal is to simplify and personalize the travel experience by integrating different mobility services, such as public transport and sharing services. MIA, the Modal Interchange Assistant, aims to provide flexible travel plans that adapt in real time to changes such as delays or queues, and to improve waiting times by offering personalized activities. The project also aims to collect user feedback to continuously improve the service and help promote more sustainable and accessible urban mobility, encouraging the shift from private car use to public transport. With its ability to personalize trips based on users’ specific needs and adapt to their preferences, MIA aims to make public transport a more attractive and accessible option for everyone.

Initial Challenge

MIA was created to address the complexity and dynamic nature of urban travel by public transport. By tackling the challenges of modern trip planning — such as delays or congestion — it proposes adapting in real time to these changes and integrating different mobility options, including sharing services and public transport.

Solution

MIA combines different transport services, such as buses, trains, shared mobility services, and taxis, offering users a complete, personalized travel plan. The system dynamically adapts to traffic conditions and other unforeseen factors, updating travel plans in real time to minimize delays and disruption. It also offers personalized suggestions during waiting times, improving the overall traveler experience and promoting more sustainable use of public transport.

Benefits

Travel plans are optimized and personalized, taking into account factors such as time, cost, and personal preferences.
Adapts quickly to real-time changes, such as transport delays or traffic issues, reducing stress and uncertainty for the user.
Combines different transport modes, including public transport and shared mobility services, for better accessibility and convenience.
Improves the waiting experience with personalized suggestions for nearby activities and services.
Simplifies ticket purchase and validation across all legs of the journey.
Promotes the use of public transport, helping reduce environmental impact and ease urban traffic congestion.
Uses user feedback to continuously improve the services offered, adapting to evolving needs and preferences.