On 9 October, the teams of Parisconnect_2, supported by the Ville de Paris, started to deploy several solutions of common urban infrastructure in Paris Rive gauche, in the 13th arrondissement. These connected devices, installed directly on street furniture, will ultimately enable autonomous vehicles to communicate with their environment.
Coordinated by ATC France, Phase 1, which includes the installation of these first equipments by Audiospot, ParkingMap and Aximum, will focus on signage, management of transport flows and accessibility with:

• a set of connected sound beacons:
  -for persons with visual disabilities: sound guidance system with a universal remote control system or a smartphone application. The information, integrating data from Parkoview sensors, deployed for the mobility observatory, concerns: crossing at traffic lights, information in real time on public transport; assistance to cross cycle lanes (detection of approaching bicycles);
  -for everybody: transmission of sound alerts in real time (security, prevention, traffic information for transports …) and “simplified” audio and visual guidance, more accurate than GPS, with proximity information (schedules in real time, events …) in different languages via a smartphone application.
• a mobility observatory recording the flows of different types of vehicles on the route of the installed infrastructure;
• the provision of information on an autonomous electronic reading device, at the exit of subway stations: location of the nearest bus stop, display in real time of bus schedules etc.
  The first tests involving groups of sighted and blind persons will take place on 5 and 6 November and then on 19 and 20 December.
  The various partners and stakeholders in the area will give their feedback over a 6 to 12 months period, which will be followed by the implementation of the most relevant solutions on a larger scale.
  This first step is essential, before the 2nd phase planned in 2020. In conjunction with the experimentation of autonomous mobility in Paris Rive Gauche, led by the RATP in partnership with the Ville de Paris, the objectives are to enable the autonomous vehicles to communicate with their environment by means of an intelligent infrastructure and a dedicated 5G telecommunication network.

Paris2connect is an ambitious project designed to demonstrate how a common urban digital infrastructure, using streetlights and traffic lights for instance, can meet the growing needs of the Smart-City, of connectivity and autonomous mobility, in an inclusive approach, respectful of the environment and its inhabitants.
This project, laureate of the “Quartier d’Innovation Urbaine” launched by the Mairie de Paris and Urban Lab, is supported by a group of eight companies: ATC France, AudioSpot, Aximum, Nokia, Parking Map, RATP, Signify (ex Philips Lighting) and EXEM.

“ATC aims at being a partner of communities, operators and companies providing services to the Smart City or autonomous mobility in order to enable this common infrastructure, including funding”, says Laurent Benet, Director of Strategy and Innovation at ATC France.
“AudioSpot is investing in the development of innovative digital solutions enabling the distribution on smartphones of geo-localized information, accessible to everybody. This project provides an opportunity to demonstrate that the connected guidance sound beacons provided by Proxity offer not only continuity in the mobility chain for the blind and the visually impaired, but also personalized geo-information to all users, whether disabled or not, frenchspeaking or not” – Arnaud Meneux, President, AudioSpot.
“As a global operator of safe mobility, Aximum, a subsidiary of Colas, provides its industrial expertise, its capacity for innovation and know-how to the smart and developing city in order to guarantee all users security” – Pierre-Adrien Nadal, Director of Innovation, Aximum.
” EXEM is a laboratory specialized in the control of human exposure to electromagnetic fields, which innovates in the ecosystem of smart cities, providing the first wave observatory that answers the needs of surveillance of digital networks. Neutral and independent, EXEM uses its expertise to accompany the societal debate linked to electromagnetic exposure” – Guilhem Astre, President, EXEM.
“As the Paris 2024 Olympic Games approach, Nokia, a world leader in telecommunication networks, contributes to the attractiveness of Paris by transforming the city into a showcase of innovative services and usages, created, improved and deployed thanks to 5G networks”, says Thierry Boisnon, President of Nokia, France.
“As a contributor to the smart city and expert in connected parking services, ParkingMap proposes the management of parking areas for two-wheeled vehicles and the creation of a mobility observatory. The mapping and analyzing of public space in real time makes it possible to answer all the problems related to parking and urban mobility. The mobility observatory allows to further understand attitudes on the road networks.” – Henri de La Porte – Director-General, Parking Map
The RATP Group is a world leader in urban public transport. It offers secure, sustainable and connected mobility solutions for a sustainable and smart city, while integrating today new forms of mobility into all traditional public modes of transport. Shared mobility (carsharing, carpooling), self-service vehicles, transport on demand, autonomous vehicles … thus define a new “door-to-door” offer in the comprehensive transport system. – Marie-Claude Dupuis, Director of Strategy, Innovation and Development of the RATP Group.

“Philips Lighting, now Signify, a long-standing partner of the Ville de Paris, has naturally engaged in this innovative and structuring approach, driven by the principle that light is essential, and more particularly connected lighting, in the City of Tomorrow”, says Julien Baranzelli, Marketing Director.

Contact:
Laurent Benet, Director, Strategy, Innovation and Business Development, ATC France
+33 1 46 16 50 02
laurent.benet@atcfrance.fr