Course on the Future of Autonomous Cities
Online course of 300 hours in the future of autonomous cities, structured in 6 modules covering autonomous-city visions, autonomous vehicles and mobility, service robotics, autonomous digital infrastructure, ethics and governance, and urban foresight, with an assigned technical tutor.
Course on the Future of Autonomous Cities — studying from India
India is investing heavily in infrastructure, including highways, metros, rail modernisation and smart city programmes. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the National Highways Authority of India and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs drive large projects, with delivery by firms such as Larsen & Toubro, Afcons and RITES. Metro rail projects in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai create steady demand for civil and systems engineers. The Bureau of Indian Standards sets construction and material codes, and the Indian Railways network is one of the largest in the world, offering wide scope for rail engineering careers.
Fees for India: ₹84,500 (Indian Rupee), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in India
Typical roles
Questions from India
Which bodies in India recognise civil and rail engineers, and what does that mean for a private qualification?
In India, civil engineers are commonly recognised through the Institution of Engineers (India), the Indian Roads Congress for roads, and state or municipal registration for some public works. Railway engineering is governed by Indian Railways and its training institutes. SEIUM's qualifications are private and not accredited by a national body, so recognition is decided by employers or the relevant body.
Who employs civil, rail and smart city engineers in India?
Employers include Indian Railways, RITES, RVNL, state public works departments, municipal corporations, urban development agencies under smart city missions, and large construction and consulting firms. A private online qualification can add specialist knowledge, but employers generally prioritise professional registration, site experience and project records.
Is this programme manageable with a job in India, and what level of English is needed?
The programme is 100% online and taught in English, so you need solid working English. You can study from India without a student visa. Specialist courses take around 300 hours, diplomas 800 and master's about 1,900. Schedules follow IST, you get an assigned technical tutor, and fees can be paid in instalments. Ask your employer about sponsorship, as many organisations fund professional development.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Critically analyse visions of the autonomous city and their antecedents.
Understand the technologies and regulation of urban autonomous vehicles.
Identify applications of robotics and drones in urban services.
Design autonomous digital infrastructure architectures with safe degradation.
Assess the ethical, social and regulatory implications of automation.
Apply foresight and scenario-building methods.
Develop a foresight project on the automation of a city.
Who it's for
- Urban foresight analysts.
- Autonomous mobility planners looking to broaden their view of the city as a whole.
- Urban innovation consultants.
- Researchers working on cities of the future.
- Technology policy advisers.
- Managers of automation pilots in cities.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to move into local government.
What you'll work with
- SAE J3016 (levels of driving automation)
- Regulation (EU) 2019/2144 (vehicle general safety and type approval)
- Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1426 (type approval of automated driving systems)
- ISO 26262 (road vehicle functional safety)
- ISO 21448 (safety of the intended functionality, SOTIF)
- Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (Artificial Intelligence Act)
- Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/664 (U-space framework for drones)
- UN ECE Regulation No. 155 (vehicle cybersecurity)
- CARLA
- SUMO
- Gazebo
- MATSim
- Miro
6 modules
1.1Concept of the autonomous, self-managing city1.2Levels of automation of urban services1.3Urban foresight and scenario methods1.4Planned cities: Woven City and Masdar1.5Lessons from Sidewalk Toronto1.6Science fiction and technological discourse1.7The algorithmic city and automated government1.8Technical autonomy versus political autonomy1.9Risks of technological solutionism1.10Case study: critical analysis of a new-city project
2.1SAE J3016 levels of automation2.2Perception: LiDAR, radar and cameras2.3Functional safety: ISO 26262 and SOTIF2.4Type approval of automated driving systems2.5Robotaxis and on-demand services2.6Autonomous buses in urban environments2.7V2X connectivity and cooperative infrastructure2.8Impact on urban space and parking2.9Rebound effect and induced demand2.10Practical exercise: evaluation of an autonomous bus pilot
3.1Sidewalk delivery robots3.2Urban drones and U-space airspace3.3Robotised cleaning and maintenance3.4Automated infrastructure inspection3.5Automated logistics and parcel lockers3.6Autonomous, self-optimising buildings3.7Self-healing power grids3.8Automated urban agriculture3.9Interaction between robots and pedestrians3.10Lab: simulation of delivery robots in a neighbourhood
4.1Digital twins as the urban nervous system4.2Distributed artificial intelligence at the edge4.3Autonomous urban control systems4.4AI agents in public management4.56G networks and ubiquitous communication4.6Autonomous predictive maintenance4.7Resilience of automated systems4.8Cybersecurity of autonomous systems4.9Systemic failures and safe degradation4.10Workshop: architecture of an autonomous urban service
5.1Employment and the transformation of urban work5.2Equitable access to automated services5.3Civil liability of autonomous systems5.4The European Artificial Intelligence Act5.5Meaningful human oversight5.6Privacy in sensor-rich environments5.7Democratic legitimacy of automation5.8Experimental regulation and sandboxes5.9Desirable and undesirable scenarios5.10Case study: deliberation on the automation of a public service
6.1Selection of the urban area6.2Analysis of technology trends6.3Building scenarios to 20506.4Design of automated services6.5Assessment of spatial impacts6.6Ethical and regulatory analysis6.7Transition roadmap6.8Monitoring indicators6.9Report and presentation6.10Final project: final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
100% online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable materials, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within each intake, so the programme fits alongside your job.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is CARLA, SUMO, Gazebo, MATSim and Miro, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Exercises are based on real procedures: building autonomous-city scenarios to 2050, evaluating an autonomous bus pilot and the ethical analysis of automating a public service. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final project.
Standards covered: SAE J3016, Regulation (EU) 2019/2144, Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1426, ISO 26262, ISO 21448, Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (Artificial Intelligence), Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/664 (U-space), UN ECE Regulation No. 155.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior qualification is required.
- An internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 300 hours over 3 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with CARLA, SUMO, Gazebo, MATSim and Miro, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute certificate, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the final project. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed are recognised in a higher programme in the same area (postgraduate diploma or master's). Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
No prior qualification is required: just an internet connection, a computer able to run the programme software and English sufficient to read technical standards.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
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