Category:
Six new companies with innovative projects are selected in the second cycle of Sandbox.Rio
Published on 21/06/2024 - 18:40 | Updated on 23/06/2024 - 18:18
The list of projects selected in the second cycle of Sandbox.Rio – an experimental regulatory program that allows companies to test innovative products, processes and services in Rio – was released this Friday (21/6). In total, six projects were selected. They are car-sharing services, autonomous air transport, a public electric bicycle charging station, a vertical farm model inside shipping containers, a delivery project for favelas and an electric scooter company, the latter from the company Whoosh, which will begin operations in the city this Saturday (22/6).
-We are moving forward with this important project for the city, which is Sandbox.Rio. A recognized and award-winning project that is in line with the greater objective of transforming the city of Rio into the innovation capital of Latin America. By facilitating the entry of innovative projects into the city, with legal certainty, we are able to attract investments, consolidate markets, and generate employment and income for the people of Rio – analyzes Chicão Bulhões, Municipal Secretary of Urban and Economic Development of Rio.
Shared scooters return to Rio in a safer way
Sandbox.Rio, carried out by the Municipal Secretariat for Urban and Economic Development, brings scooters back to the city. It will be the first project of the second cycle to begin operations. Unlike the previous experience, in which scooters could be parked anywhere in the city, in the operating model called free float, this time the experimental project, tested at Sandbox.Rio, will allow for better urban planning and greater traffic safety, so that users must pick up and leave their scooters at fixed points.
The startup Whoosh, a company founded in Russia and with a branch in Rio, brought in through a partnership with Invest.Rio – the Rio de Janeiro City Hall's investment and attraction agency – was selected in this new phase of the program to test the service for a period of 12 months, which the city has the prerogative to suspend at any time, according to the rules established by the department and under the supervision of the Municipal Department of Transportation, Municipal Guard and CET-Rio). The city's departments will monitor the process closely and the company will be contacted if there is any problem.
The scooters can only be used by people over 18 years of age and can be used on the city's waterfront and in squares. In addition, the vehicles are equipped with safety devices such as brakes, a horn, a speedometer, front and rear signaling, a QR code for unlocking, anti-theft technology and, for nighttime, automatic headlights. In areas with high pedestrian traffic and cultural interest, where there are speed controls, the scooters are able to geographically identify these zones and reduce speed automatically.
During the testing period, scooters will be able to circulate on cycle paths, cycle lanes, urban parks, public squares and roads closed to leisure.
The other selected projects
Wali: Wali's initiative in Rio introduces an innovative, fully digital car-sharing service, through which the user, through the app, reserves and unlocks the rental car and removes the key from the glove compartment, allowing the use of the car without contact with third parties, autonomously.
The service depends on partnerships with hotel chains, condominiums and shopping malls to operate. The expansion of public areas for transit spaces will be an unprecedented initiative tested at Sandbox.Rio for use on a larger scale. The service not only promotes urban mobility, but also offers an affordable and sustainable option for getting around the city.
Michaelis: It is the first autonomous air transport project in Latin America, using the world's most advanced eVTOL in partnership with the Chinese company Ehang, which is an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. The project will demonstrate autonomous flight (without passengers) of this new mode, which is being popularly known as a “flying car”. The project, to be presented within the legal framework of Sandbox.Rio, introduces a mode that does not require a pilot to operate.
The company, which joined the sandbox program through Invest.Rio, will demonstrate what the passenger and/or cargo user experience will be like throughout the process. The project presents similar regulatory challenges to the selected Eve Air Mobility in the first cycle, but it is a different eVTOL model that may offer cargo transportation in the future. The partner developing the vehicle, Ehang, is the first company to obtain an airworthiness certificate for eVTOL, issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of China.
Boos Bike: In an unprecedented move, the project envisages the installation of public parking and charging stations for electric bicycles, as an incentive for sustainable micromobility and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, which is in line with the Municipality's Sustainable Development Plan. The charging hubs also promote multimodal integration, allowing the convenient combination of different modes of transport and freeing up urban space for other purposes.
Mighty Green: The project aims to install a vertical urban farm inside a shipping container, bringing the countryside to the city with pesticide-free, fresh produce produced in less space and with less use of natural resources such as mushrooms and microgreens. The initiative aims not only to provide healthier and more affordable food for urban residents, but also to explore solutions that promote food security, environmental sustainability and efficient use of natural resources.
Delivery from Favelas: The Delivery de Favelas company's project involves installing delivery points (“mini-bases”) in public spaces in communities to facilitate product delivery logistics in Rio's favelas. The business model aims to promote inclusion and generate income by connecting microentrepreneurs, delivery people and community residents to large players, with modalities that include Marketplace, Last Mile and Reverse Logistics to meet large demands.
Hair official program website It is possible to obtain information about the projects of the first and second cycles, such as notices, selection processes, results and progress of the projects. There are also articles prepared by the technical team responsible for the program.
News
