Have you ever wanted to get away from it all – while stuck on a crowded airplane? Adopting radical approaches using virtual, enhanced and mixed reality, the ‘VR-Hyperspace’ project is targeting a paradigm shift in the way we ‘see’ passenger comfort.

An innovative online tool has been developed to help cities meet the transport demands of large-scale events. Created through an international EU-funded project, the tool shows how integration of Intelligent Transport Systems can make a world of difference.

The ‘Hoverspill’ project, with support from the EU Framework Programme, has developed a new amphibious vehicle platform aimed at rapid oil spill response. But researchers say it can and will do much more.

The EU-funded TITAN project has delivered a new model for collaborative air transport decision making, and a tool to improve aircraft turnaround at airports, optimising efficiency while reducing flight delays and cancellations.

Traditionally, car crash safety testing has focused mainly on the protection of drivers and passengers in wall impact scenarios. The ‘Fimcar’ project has been looking more closely at real-world accidents and considering better ways to assess safety.

The EU-funded SecureMetro project has developed blast-resilient metro carriages that are better able to withstand a terrorist attack, promising to restore the confidence of travellers and ultimately save lives.

The EU-funded ‘Udrive’ project is using the latest information and communications technologies (ICT) to observe human driving behaviour, with the aim of improving road safety and fuel efficiency.

Researchers say many thousands of children could benefit from a new system that helps ensure their safety as they go to school. SAFEWAY2SCHOOL brings together the latest communications technologies to, among other things, warn drivers of the presence of children near bus stops.

The EU-funded ADSEAT project has developed the world’s first virtual crash test dummy of an average female. The computational model is to be used in virtual testing of vehicle seat safety performance.

Historically, inspecting cargo ships for cracks, corrosion and other signs of wear has been time-consuming, expensive. For the inspectors who have to climb scaffolding it is also potentially dangerous. Seeking to ease these difficulties, the EU-funded project MINOAS has developed robots equipped with cameras and magnetic wheels that can scale walls and report back their findings – quickly, accurately and safely.

Shipping containers are crucial for European and global trade and yet concerns about capacity and efficiency and potential environmental drawbacks have led for calls for a redesign. Tellibox, an EU funded project, has done exactly that, successfully demonstrating the MegaSwapBox – a 100 metre-cubed container that can be loaded from three sides and is compatible with multiple transport modes.

A research project funded by the European Commission has led to a potential breakthrough for the rail sector - by adapting light weight materials most commonly found in high performance racing cars. The results promise to provide the rail industry with trains that are more environmentally-friendly, easier and cheaper to produce, and less costly for rail companies in terms of track maintenance. An all round win-win situation.

Aircraft are very safe, but unexpected, extremely difficult flight conditions do happen. Up to now, no simulator has been able to give pilots training that could prepare them realistically for situations like these. The SUPRA project has succeeded in building a flight simulator to train pilots for harsh conditions.

The recent accident of the Costa Concordia cruise ship has tragically shown that mistakes at sea can have severe consequences. The European Commission is supporting advanced research that helps reduce the risks of human error and the impact, should something go wrong nevertheless.

Aircraft noise is a daily blight on the lives of millions.  Although aircraft noise is caused by a large number of factors, previous efforts to reduce it have only ever looked at those factors in isolation.  A unique EU project involving 47 partners, including major players in aeronautics, aims to take a ‘whole-aircraft’ approach, significantly reducing the noise by tackling the problem as a whole.

As technology advances, vehicle manufacturers are incorporating more and more gadgets such as cell phones, satellite navigators and in-car video systems into vehicles. But what are the effects of these in-vehicle technologies (IVTs) on road safety? Ten European research partners are trying to determine how safe they really are.

The SARTRE project (Safe Road Trains for the Environment) has successfully completed the first test demonstrations of a multiple vehicle platoon. The test fleet included a lead truck followed by three cars driven entirely autonomously at speeds of up to 90 km/h – with no more than a 6 metres gap between the vehicles.

A new internal combustion engine addresses the drawbacks of petrol and diesel designs. As a result, it cuts both fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. The project, NICE, was supported by the European Commission.

Green alternatives to conventional cars are needed fast – for the sake of the environment, and the health of the European economy. But a lot more innovation is needed to make greener cars ready for mass production. To speed things up and encourage cost-sharing, the European Commission is promoting cooperation at every stage – often between commercial rivals.

London Heathrow airport has recently introduced driverless pods to connect Terminal 5 with its car parks, replacing a regular bus service. A hit with travellers and techies alike, these pods are being introduced on the road with support from the European Commission’s Framework Programme for research.