The Centre for Innovation, Technology and Policy Research, IN+, developed an innovative Project known as "HOST - Human Oriented Sustainable Transport mean". This project looks at contemporary societies in a creative way, living above all in urban environments. This leads to new problems, which call for adequate technological solutions mainly in the social contexts with a long and old urban tradition that has intensified since the end of 20th century.
This is the case of the Oeiras municipality, a council that is one of the most important areas of Lisbon's metropolitan area, due to its size. This project identified the need: mobility. Then, it proposed a tailor-made sustainable solution. The HOST, a multipurpose modular vehicle, capable of working 24 hours a day, was subjected to an a priori characterization of the driving cycles in missions it is intended for, including users´ needs, together with the CMO.
The possibility of easily changing the platform size allows HOST to be equipped with the most diversified types of bodywork, and therefore supply new services for mobility and transport of goods in cities, and organize the traffic in a sustainable and rational manner. The easiness of traction and horizontal rotation make the operation easy in historic areas of difficult access. It is driven by a hydric propeller with a traction drive made by electric engines placed in each Wheel and fed by batteries, loaded from a Diesel engine to an electric generator.
Finally, it is worthwhile noting the partners that made this project feasible, which reveal its international character an is an example of the best cooperation practices between universities and companies (CIRPS Università di Roma "La Sapienza"; KTH Royal Institute of Technology of Stockholm; Stile Bertone S.p.a.; Volvo; Robosoft; Cargo Technologies; Enginion; Jelley Limited; KVD and Oeiras Municipality).