Publication date
15 may 2026
An innovative technology developed at the University of Aveiro (UA), which adapts vehicle performance to the user’s level of effort, has been awarded Best Paper at the international ICICT 2026 conference, held in the United States.
The system was tested on the “MariaBike” platform, which combines the agility of a bicycle with the robustness of a scooter, representing a significant advancement in intelligent mobility by enabling real-time modelling of the user’s physical condition.
The award-winning paper, entitled “Physio-Digital Twin for Human-Centered IoT Mobility: A Proof-of-Concept Implementation on the e-bike Platform”, was developed by researchers Syed Tahir Ali Shah, José Paulo Santos, Gabriel Constantinescu and António Bastos Pereira, from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, and José Fernandes, from the Department of Electronics, Telecommunications and Informatics.
The research presents the development and validation of a Physio-Digital Twin (PDT) integrated into the “MariaBike” electric scooter platform. This system combines physiological monitoring, embedded artificial intelligence, and adaptive mobility control. In practice, the technology analyses and models the user’s physiological and behavioural state in real time, dynamically adjusting the electric assistance torque and the vehicle’s lighting conditions to enhance comfort, efficiency, and safety.
This work is part of the AM2R Agenda – Mobilising Agenda for Business Innovation in the Two-Wheel Sector, one of the 21 Mobilising/Green Agendas for Business Innovation funded under the Portuguese Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), in which the University of Aveiro participates.
More information is available at: https://www.ua.pt/pt/agendasprr/
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