Two new mobile applications have launched for residents of Brno, aiming to reduce tram collisions and assist with urban planning. Pozor tramvaj! (Look out for the tram!) alerts people to oncoming trams with audio and visual warnings, while 3D Model Brna features an up-to-date 3D model of the city. Photo Credit: Freepik / Illustrative Photo.
Brno, Apr 8 (BD) – Every year in Brno, a considerable number of pedestrians, runners, cyclists, or cars end up in unfortunate collisions with trams, resulting in dozens of injuries, loss of life, and significant property damage. The most common causes are excess haste, errors in judgment, risky behaviour, or a combination of these. Pedestrians, drivers, and other road users in Brno can now feel safer thanks to a new mobile application, Pozor Tramvaj! (Look out for the tram!).
Pozor tramvaj! is a new security app that runs in the background of your smartphone and communicates via Bluetooth with a transmitting unit in the approaching tram. After installing the application, you should turn on Bluetooth on your phone, and the app will warn you in good time about approaching trams, with an audio and visual alert. The app can be used not only by pedestrians but also by cyclists and motorists. A warning of a possible collision with a tram is automatically triggered from a distance of 100-120 meters while driving, and it works whether the device is in idle mode or in active use. If you are making phone calls, typing, reading, listening to music or using a navigation system or any other app, the sound is muted and a visual warning is triggered.
Meanwhile, another urban web application, 3D Model Brna, features a 3D model of the city of Brno, and can be used for analysis and assessment, showing how buildings would fit into the territory or affect the visibility of city landmarks, and also by designers, architects or urban planners who want to create visualizations and plan further development of the city. The application draws on two sources and contains a detailed and accurate model, created by TopGis, which currently covers approximately 17,000 buildings in the city center and was created from aerial survey images taken in 2020. The application also includes a 3D model created by the Brno City Architect’s Office, which shows buildings throughout the whole city, but is rather indicative – the height of buildings, types of roof, and their orientation may not correspond to reality.
The 3D model of the city is complemented by a 3D model of trees, which uses green passport data. For the best use of the application, it is recommended to use the latest version of Chrome or Firefox (with WebGL support), a graphics card with a minimum memory of 2 GB, and a high-speed Internet connection. The speed of the application depends on these parameters.
