Scipedia: Documents published in 2020

Psychological processes in the formation and calibration of trust in automation

Scipedia content — Tue, 26 Jan 2021 15:33:53 +0100

Auditory alerts and driving : Susceptibility to audio during (automated) driving

Scipedia content — Tue, 26 Jan 2021 14:33:15 +0100

This thesis investigated susceptibility of the human brain to auditory signals under different (driving) conditions and the ability of humans to act on alerts in specific contexts In Part I, three experiments were conducted to answer the main question: “How susceptible are humans to auditory stimuli?” To answer this question, we measured electroencephalogram (EEG) Event-Related Potential (ERP) responses in an oddball paradigm in (automated) driving tasks and cognitive load inducing tasks. The main finding was that automated driving and cognitive load inducing tasks can both reduce susceptibility to auditory alerts. Given this observation that auditory susceptibility is sometimes reduced and, more generally, to explore ways to support accurate human behavior while driving, in Part II, we explored interventions that might alleviate the associated potential problems. In the first experiment, we introduced early warnings, or pre-alerts, to allow drivers to anticipate a later acute imperative alert for an upcoming transition of control from the car to the human driver. The results showed that pre-alerts can support safer transitions of control. In the second experiment, we tested an intervention where visual in-car warnings were presented to indicate an upcoming, necessary lane change. Results showed that, on average, drivers were able to change lanes in time. However, at the same time, there are occasionally some drivers that did not respond in a timely manner.

Crew Planning at Netherlands Railways: Improving Fairness, Attractiveness, and Efficiency

Scipedia content — Tue, 26 Jan 2021 14:22:29 +0100

xtabstractThe development and improvement of decision support voor crew planning at Netherlands Railways (NS)

Evaluation of acceleration characteristics on operational eco - driving

Scipedia content — Tue, 26 Jan 2021 14:16:29 +0100

Text in English; Abstract: English and Turkish Includes bibliographical references (leaves 53-58) ix, 53 leaves Greenhouse gasses is a main thread for global warming and there are several strategies that reducing GHG gasses especially in developing countries as using alternative fuel types, dealing with the congestion, maintaining the steady traffic flow, dealing with the maintenances of vehicle, managing desired speed and the acceleration rates and so on. Eco-Driving is indicating any implementations which enables driving more economic and ecologic style. One of the main concepts of eco-driving is configuring driving behaviour to reduce consumption and emissions. In this thesis, impact of driver's behaviour tried to be investigated by using an instantaneous emission modelling to obtain minimum acceleration deceleration rate in generically created urban network. Sera gazları küresel ısınmanın ana tehdididir ve özellikle gelişmekte olan ülkelerde alternatif yakıt türlerini kullanmak, trafik sıkışıklığını önlemek, trafiğin akıcı bir şekilde devam etmesini sağlamak, araç bakımlarını yönetmek, istenilen hızı çıkmayı yönetmek ve bu hızda devam etmek gibi çeşitli stratejiler ile bu sera gazlarının ulaştırma sektöründe düşürülmesi amaçlanmaktadır. Eko-Sürüş, daha ekonomik ve ekolojik sürüşü mümkün kılan uygulamaların bir bütünüdür. Eko-sürüşün operasyonel olarak temel kavramlarından birisi de sürücü davranışlarının yakıt tüketimi ve emisyonu azaltıcı şekilde düzenlemektir. Bu tezde, kentsel ağdaki bir sürüş parkurunu taklit edici bir parkur dizayn edilerek ve emisyon modeli kullanılarak minimum düzeyde yakıt tüketimi ve emisyon elde edebilmek için burada hızlanma eğrilerinin etkileri değerlendirilmiştir.

The chicken-and-egg electric vehicle dilemma of British Columbia: EV policy recommendations for the modernization of the Cowichan Valley Regional District official community plan and zoning bylaws

Scipedia content — Tue, 26 Jan 2021 14:15:33 +0100

Electric vehicle (EV) ownership has risen exponentially over the last couple of years in Canada. British Columbia has seen nearly the same amount of EV sales in the last 15 months as the last 4 years combined! Despite the tremendous improvements in charging station accessibility in urban areas, rural and sub-urban areas have been mostly overlooked thus far. A lack of charging stations has created range anxiety for potential buyers who are not within the city core or wish to take regular trips for recreation and travel. How can we help alleviate this range anxiety and improve the viability of the electric car for all geographic locations? It starts with well-written policy that is supplemented with extensive community consultation and collaboration. Thesis/major project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Community Planning in the Department of Community planning, Faculty of Social Sciences. https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/23302/BrietzkeProject.pdf?sequence=3

Innovation Adaptation in Urban Light-Rail Transport: Adapting Pricing and Infrastructural Innovations using Frugal Approach in Ethiopia and Nigeria

Scipedia content — Tue, 26 Jan 2021 14:08:05 +0100

Last mile deliveries of e-commerce orders: a cross analysis of consumers' ans carriers' perceptions.

Scipedia content — Tue, 26 Jan 2021 13:45:14 +0100

Não recebi financiamento The evolution of e-commerce has triggered a true revolution in the market. Due to that, the increase of deliveries changed the urban freight pattern flows and vehicles’ traffic in the cities. These changes have consequences in technological, economic, environmental and social aspects. It is important to highlight that the adoption of good practices and strategies in e-commerce last mile distribution can influence positively the society in general. According to the literature, there is a high potential to use new technologies in the last mile to increase the customer experience, reduce costs, increase security, and support city environmental when delivering e-commerce purchases. Therefore, the aim of this study is to diagnose the e-commerce last mile delivery evaluating new technology solutions proposed by the literature and considering the perceptions from customers and e-commerce carriers. The used method was survey questionnaires applied to consumers and carriers in order to get different perceptions between them in São Paulo city. This region was chosen due to its relevance in the Brazilian demand and complexity in last mile delivery related to productivity, security and urban mobility. Customers and carriers consider more relevant performance and convenience aspects in relation to e-commerce delivery. However, carriers have a greater concern than customers with the points of infrastructure and environment. Demographic and risk data from São Paulo were also analysed and the results support the strategy definition to have pick up points being used to delivery e-commerce purchases in the São Paulo city, predominantly in the most distant areas of the city center. A evolução do comércio eletrônico desencadeou uma verdadeira revolução no mercado. Por isso, o aumento das entregas mudou o padrão de fluxo de frete urbano e tráfego de veículos nas cidades. Essas mudanças têm consequências em aspectos tecnológicos, econômicos, ambientais e sociais. É importante destacar que a adoção de boas práticas e estratégias no comércio eletrônico na distribuição de ultima milha pode influenciar positivamente a sociedade em geral. De acordo com a literatura, existe um alto potencial para usar novas tecnologias na última milha para aumentar a experiência do cliente, reduzir custos, aumentar a segurança e suportar a cidade em aspectos ambientais ao entregar compras de comércio eletrônico. Portanto, o objetivo deste estudo foi diagnosticar a entrega de última milha do e-commerce avaliando novas soluções tecnológicas propostas pela literatura e considerando as percepções de clientes e operadoras de comércio eletrônico. O método utilizado foi a aplicação de questionários em consumidores e transportadoras para diferenciar percepções entre eles na cidade de São Paulo. Esta região foi escolhida devido à sua relevância na demanda e complexidade no contecto Brasil na entrega de última milha relacionada a produtividade, segurança e mobilidade urbana. Clientes e transportadoras consideram aspectos de desempenho e conveniência mais relevantes em relação a entrega no comércio eletrônico. No entanto, as transportadoras têm uma preocupação maior do que os clientes com o pontos de infraestrutura e meio ambiente. Dados demográficos e de risco de São Paulo também foram analisados e os resultados apóiam a definição da estratégia de pontos de coleta usados para entrega de compras de comércio eletrônico na cidade de São Paulo, predominantemente nas áreas mais distantes do centro da cidade.

Evaluation of recycled warm asphalt mixtures using conventional and polymer modified binders

Scipedia content — Tue, 26 Jan 2021 13:30:00 +0100

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES The growing concern with the environment, in recent years, awakens the study of new technologies in the field of paving. Less polluting technologies that minimize the degradation of the environment and that seek to meet sustainability measures are the guiding principle of many researches currently developed. Within this context, pavement recycling emerged as an alternative to reduce the amount of virgin aggregates needed in new pavements, and to reuse this material of great economic value, which was previously deposited on the environment, without adequate reuse. In order to meet the requirements of the Kyoto Protocol of 1997, warm asphalt mixtures have emerged, which have brought a number of benefits when compared to conventional hot mixes, allowing the reduction of the machining and compacting temperatures usually employed, as well as the reduction of consumption decreasing the emission of pollutants and improving the working conditions of operators. Thus, the study of the warm recycled asphalt mixtures begins, which combine the insertion of the recycled pavement material with the technology of the warm mixtures, obtaining an expressive gain in the amount of material to be inserted in new asphalt masses, due to the lower reheating of the milled material. The aim of the present study was to conduct a study on warm recycled asphalt mixtures using conventional binders CAP 50/70 and modified by polymer CAP 60/85. Four asphalt mixtures were studied per binder, between conventional hot mix (reference), warm (no milling), and warm mixtures with 25 and 50% milling (replacing the total mass of virgin aggregates), totaling in eight blends surveyed. After being dosed by the Superpave methodology and analyzed for its volumetric and densification properties, the samples were evaluated for tensile strength (tensile strength by diametral compression and Flow Number), deformability (modulus of resilience and complex modulus) and adhesion and cohesion (Lottman Modified and wear resistance). The main results indicated that the performance of the warm asphalt mixtures is equivalent to the conventional hot mixes. There is also a significant improvement for blends with embedded milling, highlighting the gains obtained in the Flow Number test, which grows significantly as the milling content of the blend increases, as well as the results of adhesion and cohesion through Modified Lottman test, which proved to be positive, probably due to the milling used in the present research to have modified polymer binder (CAP 60/85) in its composition. As for the modified binder mixtures, it is possible to affirm that there is an expressive improvement of performance when compared to the mixtures with conventional binder. A crescente preocupação com o meio ambiente, nos últimos anos, desperta o estudo de novas tecnologias no ramo da pavimentação. Tecnologias menos poluentes, que minimizem a degradação do ambiente e que busquem atender as medidas de sustentabilidade são o fio condutor de muitas pesquisas desenvolvidas atualmente. Dentro deste contexto, a reciclagem de pavimentos surgiu como alternativa de reduzir a quantidade de agregados virgens necessários em novos pavimentos, e reaproveitar esse material de grande valor econômico, que antes era deposto sobre o meio ambiente, sem reutilização adequada. Buscando atender às premissas do Protocolo de Kyoto, de 1997, surgiram as misturas asfálticas mornas, que trouxeram uma série de benefícios, se comparadas às misturas convencionais a quente, permitindo a redução das temperaturas de usinagem e compactação usualmente empregadas, além da redução do consumo energético, diminuição da emissão de poluentes e melhoria nas condições de trabalho dos operadores. Dessa forma, tem início o estudo das misturas asfálticas recicladas mornas, as quais aliam a inserção do material reciclado de pavimento com a tecnologia das misturas mornas, obtendo um ganho expressivo na quantidade de material a ser inserido em novas massas asfálticas, devido ao menor reaquecimento do material fresado. Com esse intuito, o objetivo da presente pesquisa foi realizar um estudo sobre misturas asfálticas recicladas mornas, utilizando ligantes convencional CAP 50/70 e modificado por polímero CAP 60/85. Estudaram-se quatro misturas asfálticas por ligante, entre misturas convencional a quente (referência), morna (sem fresado), e morna com 25 e 50% de fresado (em substituição à massa total de agregados virgens), totalizando em oito misturas pesquisadas. Após dosadas pela metodologia Superpave e analisadas suas propriedades volumétricas e de densificação, as amostras foram avaliadas quanto às propriedades de resistência (resistência à tração por compressão diametral e Flow Number), deformabilidade (módulo de resiliência e módulo complexo) e adesão e coesão (Lottman modificado e resistência ao desgaste cântabro). Os principais resultados apontaram que o desempenho das misturas asfálticas mornas é equivalente às convencionais a quente. Existe também uma melhora significativa para as misturas com fresado incorporado, ressaltando os ganhos obtidos no ensaio de Flow Number, que cresce expressivamente à medida em que se aumenta o teor de fresado da mistura, assim como, os resultados de adesão e coesão, através do ensaio Lottman modificado, que se mostraram positivos, provavelmente, devido ao fresado utilizado na presente pesquisa dispor de ligante envelhecido modificado com polímero (CAP 60/85) em sua composição. Quanto às misturas com ligante modificado, é possível afirmar que existe uma expressiva melhora de desempenho quando comparadas às misturas com ligante convencional.

Multimodal machine learning for intelligent mobility

Scipedia content — Tue, 26 Jan 2021 13:22:34 +0100

div"Scientific problems are solved by finding the optimal solution for a specific task. Some problems can be solved analytically while other problems are solved using data driven methods. The use of digital technologies to improve the transportation of people and goods, which is referred to as intelligent mobility, is one of the principal beneficiaries of data driven solutions. Autonomous vehicles are at the heart of the developments that propel Intelligent Mobility. Due to the high dimensionality and complexities involved in real-world environments, it needs to become commonplace for intelligent mobility to use data-driven solutions. As it is near impossible to program decision making logic for every eventuality manually. While recent developments of data-driven solutions such as deep learning facilitate machines to learn effectively from large datasets, the application of techniques within safety-critical systems such as driverless cars remain scarce."/div""div"Autonomous vehicles need to be able to make context-driven decisions autonomously in different environments in which they operate. The recent literature on driverless vehicle research is heavily focused only on road or highway environments but have discounted pedestrianized areas and indoor environments. These unstructured environments tend to have more clutter and change rapidly over time. Therefore, for intelligent mobility to make a significant impact on human life, it is vital to extend the application beyond the structured environments. To further advance intelligent mobility, researchers need to take cues from multiple sensor streams, and multiple machine learning algorithms so that decisions can be robust and reliable. Only then will machines indeed be able to operate in unstructured and dynamic environments safely. Towards addressing these limitations, this thesis investigates data driven solutions towards crucial building blocks in intelligent mobility. Specifically, the thesis investigates multimodal sensor data fusion, machine learning, multimodal deep representation learning and its application of intelligent mobility. This work demonstrates that mobile robots can use multimodal machine learning to derive driver policy and therefore make autonomous decisions."/div""div"To facilitate autonomous decisions necessary to derive safe driving algorithms, we present an algorithm for free space detection and human activity recognition. Driving these decision-making algorithms are specific datasets collected throughout this study. They include the Loughborough London Autonomous Vehicle dataset, and the Loughborough London Human Activity Recognition dataset. The datasets were collected using an autonomous platform design and developed in house as part of this research activity. The proposed framework for Free-Space Detection is based on an active learning paradigm that leverages the relative uncertainty of multimodal sensor data streams (ultrasound and camera). It utilizes an online learning methodology to continuously update the learnt model whenever the vehicle experiences new environments. The proposed Free Space Detection algorithm enables an autonomous vehicle to self-learn, evolve and adapt to new environments never encountered before. The results illustrate that online learning mechanism is superior to one-off training of deep neural networks that require large datasets to generalize to unfamiliar surroundings. "/div""div"The thesis takes the view that human should be at the centre of any technological development related to artificial intelligence. It is imperative within the spectrum of intelligent mobility where an autonomous vehicle should be aware of what humans are doing in its vicinity. Towards improving the robustness of human activity recognition, this thesis proposes a novel algorithm that classifies point-cloud data originated from Light Detection and Ranging sensors. The proposed algorithm leverages multimodality by using the camera data to identify humans and segment the region of interest in point cloud data. The corresponding 3-dimensional data was converted to a Fisher Vector Representation before being classified by a deep Convolutional Neural Network. The proposed algorithm classifies the indoor activities performed by a human subject with an average precision of 90.3%. When compared to an alternative point cloud classifier, PointNet[1], [2], the proposed framework out preformed on all classes. "/div""div"The developed autonomous testbed for data collection and algorithm validation, as well as the multimodal data-driven solutions for driverless cars, is the major contributions of this thesis. It is anticipated that these results and the testbed will have significant implications on the future of intelligent mobility by amplifying the developments of intelligent driverless vehicles."/div

Upcycling Plastic Waste for Rural Road Construction in India: An Alternative Solution to Technical Challenges

Scipedia content — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 20:25:03 +0100

Measuring climate and extreme weather vulnerability to inform resilience, report 1 : a pilot study for North Atlantic medium- and high-use maritime freight

Scipedia content — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 19:59:10 +0100

Report on the findings of the population survey

Scipedia content — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 19:06:36 +0100

The foreseeable advent of conditionally automated cars (CAC) at SAE Level 3 opens up a multitude of questions that have to be addressed for a safe adoption of the new vehicle technology. To explore the opinions of other road users affected and especially of the vulnerable road users – pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists – on CACs, a population survey of road users was conducted in the EU member states France, Germany, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden as well as in Australia and in the USA within the EU-funded project BRAVE. On the basis of 6,608 survey data sets, the study provides reliable findings on acceptance and trust in CACs from a road user’ perspective, on the use of external human-machine interfaces (HMI) as well as on ethical and legal considerations. The road users’ acceptance of CACs appears to be rather positive in principle but varies between the road user groups. At the same time, doubts in trust in CACs from the perspective of the studied groups of road users are identified. Different opinions on ethical and legal issues arise which vary also according to the respondents’ country of residence.

Consumer Driving Automation System Education: A Learning and Retention Assessment

Scipedia content — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 19:06:25 +0100

For the potential safety benefits of driving automation systems to be fully realized, drivers must understand the capabilities and limitations of these systems. This study explored a range of materials that drivers may access when trying to learn about driving automation system safety features: owner’s manual only, owner’s manual and OEM website video or animation, and owner’s manual and MyCarDoesWhat.org videos. Three vehicles, a 2015 Infiniti Q50, a 2016 Honda CR-V, and a 2015 Chevy Tahoe, were selected to represent a range of vehicle types, sizes, technologies, and price points. Each training condition was tested with each vehicle for a total of nine possible testing scenarios. Thirty-six participants were recruited for the study, with an equal number of males and females from two age groups, 25–39 and 40–54 years old. Participants were balanced across the nine possible testing scenarios. A two-part study was conducted to assess participants’ ability to learn from existing training materials and to determine how well participants were able to retain what they learned. When taking into consideration participants’ self-reported learning styles, average scores across all technologies were fairly comparable across style, and participants were able gain at least a rudimentary understanding of the operation and purposes of driving automation system technologies. However, participants were less sure of the specifics associated with the technologies (i.e., activation, alerts or warnings, and appropriate use). Those in the multimedia testing conditions reported feeling more familiar with the technologies than those in the owner’s manual only condition. Participants found the videos to be an entertaining and easier-to-understand alternative to the manual. Several indicated that they would refer to the video first to see how the technology worked and then refer to the manual to gain a more in-depth understanding. Videos with sound and additional details were preferred to the simpler animations.

Impact of Ridesharing on Vehicle Miles Traveled

Scipedia content — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 18:49:48 +0100

Due to the rapid development of the ridesharing industry, there is very limited data available for researchers and practitioners to draw a comprehensive conclusion regarding resultant changes in vehicle miles traveled (VMT). Current research on ridesharing is inconclusive and conflicting. This report summarizes our findings on the impacts of ridesharing on VMT, focusing on optimization and pairing modeling, the relationship between ridesharing and public transit, induced trips, and car ownership.

Roadspace reallocation.

Scipedia content — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 18:42:08 +0100

The findings reported in this deliverable reflect the state of knowledge up to their first submission date. A revised version will be submitted in August 2021 that will include more recent material.; This report is the third WP2 deliverable. Drawing on the work done on the organizational, institutional, regulatory and political dimensions of road space allocation, it focuses on the contestation of street space. By purposefully using the notion of contestation, it sets out to identify various views on how space should be allocated across different transport modes and non-transport activities, as well as the various ways through which they are made material. Who has an interest in contesting road space arrangements or proposed changes? What are these claims about? How are they mobilized? To what extent are these claims channelled by formal consultation and decision-making processes? What similarities can be found across cities? How are these views represented at EU level? Drawing on an original qualitative dataset, the report includes an up-to-date analysis of how the contestation of street space enfolds across five cities - London, Constanta, Malmö, Lisbon and Budapest - and at EU level. Content: An up-to-date analysis of how the contestation of street space enfolds across five cities - London, Constanta, Malmö, Lisbon and Budapest - and at EU level ; Appendices : the detailed, supporting analysis for each of the five cases (“city portraits”), two sets of recommendations produced by ECF (European Cyclists Foundation) of how existing EU and Member states legislation should be revised in order to accommodate cycling.

Illinois Highway Materials Sustainability Efforts of 2016

Scipedia content — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 18:36:17 +0100

Contextual Guidance at Intersectionsfor Protected Bicycle Lanes

Scipedia content — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 18:34:58 +0100

Vehicle Information Reporting Systems

Scipedia content — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 18:31:57 +0100

The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) standard currently tracks data elements such as manufacturing details, vehicle descriptors, vehicle security codes, and serial numbers. To date, the VIN standard does not include information on safety features or vehicle equipment. Expanding the standard to indicate the presence of automated driving systems and advanced driving assistance systems could allow the efficacy and impact of these technologies on crash avoidance and crash mitigation to be more accurately determined. The research team held a series of meetings to solicit stakeholder feedback on a expanding the VIN and a number of Vehicle Information Reporting System (VIRS) alternatives. The six alternatives involved two methods of implementing a modified VIN, barcodes, optical chips, event data recorders, and a write-in option for a “participant-specified” VIRS alternative. Qualitative data of the feedback meetings was obtained from transcriptions and was further analyzed to identify preferences for VIRS alternative options. Quantitative data was obtained using a Likert-type survey adapted from the System Usability Scale. Unfortunately, due to time and budget constraints, no original equipment manufacturers participated in this project. Thus, this feasibility study may offer an incomplete view without this feedback.

Shift2MaaS D5.5 Interim Stakeholders consultation report

Scipedia content — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 18:21:16 +0100

The present document constitutes the Deliverable D5.5 “Interim Stakeholders Consultation report” in the framework of the ITD 4.7, WP5, Task 5.2 of Shift2MaaS project (S2R-OC-IP4-02-2018). The Shift2MaaS consortium identifies the importance of the participation and involvement of key stakeholders during all the phases of the project. More specifically, this deliverable provides: An explicit list of the stakeholders for the Stakeholder’s group in Chapter 5; A report on the stakeholder's workshop focused on MaaS organised by Shift2MaaS and other related projects (Chapter 6); Clarifications on the formation of the stakeholder’s group on a continuous basis within the lifetime of the project (Chapter 7). The work with Shift2MaaS stakeholders will be continued until the end of the project, so the outcomes of this work will be included in D5.6 Final Stakeholders consultation report and additional use-cases.

Measuring climate and extreme weather vulnerability to inform resilience, report 2 : port decision-makers’ barriers to climate and extreme weather adaptation

Scipedia content — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 18:08:54 +0100

Shift2MaaS D5.1 Project logo and website

Scipedia content — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 17:51:20 +0100

This document describes the objectives, structure, and look and feel of the Shift2MaaS logo and the Shift2MaaS website. Both the logo and website are essential tools within the Shift2MaaS project to reach project objectives concerning communication, including strengthening the project’s identity, raising awareness and dissemination project developments to key stakeholders and external actors, and ensuring maximal exploitation of project results.

Program Progress Performance Report #3 - October 30 2018

Scipedia content — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 17:49:44 +0100

Semi-Annual "Program Progress Performance Report (PPPR)" from the US DOT Tier 1 University Transportation Center for Underground Transportation Infrastructure (UTC-UTI) covering work done during the period April 2018 to September 2018. The report summarizes the status of our research and our accomplishments in terms of student activities, outreach, leveraging US DOT funding, faculty and researchers' accomplishments, products such as publications and websites, participants and collaborators, and the impact of our work.

Design and analysis of control strategies for pedestrian flows

Scipedia content — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 17:49:02 +0100

Exploiting the full potential of pedestrian infrastructure is becoming critical in many environments which cannot be easily expanded to cope with the increasing pedestrian demand. This is particularly true for train stations as in many dense cities space is limited and expansion is difficult and very costly. In this paper, we investigate how to improve the level-of-service experienced by pedestrians by regulating and controlling their movements with a dynamic traffic management system. Although dynamic traffic management systems have been widely investigated in the last two decades to mitigate vehicular traffic congestion, little attention has been given in the literature to dynamic traffic management systems for pedestrian flows. The objective of this paper is to develop the concept of a dynamic traffic management system for pedestrian flows by building on the experience acquired from vehicular traffic management systems. We first propose a general framework for dynamic traffic management systems which takes into account the specificities of pedestrian traffic. The specificities of pedestrian traffic are discussed and emphasized. Then we illustrate the framework by using a control strategy designed for pedestrian flows that mitigates the issues induced by bidirectional flows. We show the effectiveness of this strategy by simulating a subpart of the train station in Lausanne (Switzerland). The results show a substantial improvement despite the relative simplicity of the method. These results emphasize the under-explored potential of pedestrian control and guidance when integrated into a dynamic pedestrian management system.

HPC4Mobilty w/ UCB

Scipedia content — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 17:42:53 +0100

uthor(s): Nugent, Peter; MACFARLANE, Jane | Abstract: The purpose of this project is to examine the energy impact of urban-scale traffic for the Los Angeles Basin by developing and implementing a scalable traffic assignment model. An energy optimization function will be posed and when integrated into the optimization code for travel assignment it can be mathematically proven to converge. The energy optimization function can then be compared to the typical travel time optimization that is traditionally used in traffic assignment models. The analysis will begin with static traffic assignment models with the routing for all origin and destinations computed in parallel on high performance computing facilities. Convergence of the numerical methods rely on the solution of convex programs (or extensions of these). This step will mostly consist of demonstrating the ability to parallelize the Frank Wolfe algorithm on various platforms. This work will contribute to LBNL’s efforts to develop new processes, analytical tools, program designs, and business models to advance the state of the art in next-generation sustainable transportation solutions.

UNCERTAINTY ANALYSIS IN ROCK MASS CLASSIFICATION AND ITS APPLICATION TO RELIABILITY EVALUATION IN TUNNEL CONSTRUCTION

Scipedia content — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 17:08:20 +0100

UTC-UTI Final Research Report 004: "UNCERTAINTY ANALYSIS IN ROCK MASS CLASSIFICATION AND ITS APPLICATION TO RELIABILITY EVALUATION IN TUNNEL CONSTRUCTION"

Road space re-allocation

Scipedia content — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 17:07:39 +0100

The findings reported in this deliverable reflect the state of knowledge up to their first submission date. A revised version will be submitted in August 2021 that will include more recent material. https://www.roadspace.eu/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/MORE-D2.3_WITHOUT-CONFIDENTIAL-ANNEXE.pdf; The development of new, alternative, diverse road uses challenges existing forms of allocating space on urban road networks. Different actors and stakeholders hold differing views on how space should be allocated across different transport modes and non-transport activities. These differing views are made material through the claims that are made by a wide range of stakeholders about the allocation and use of road space. What are these claims about? How are they mobilized? To what extent are these claims channelled by formal consultation processes? What similarities can be found across cities? How are these views represented at EU level? While some actors may promote the shift from roads as traffic-enabling infrastructure to a multifunctional urban asset, others resist this transformation. By purposefully using the notion of contestation, this report assumes that claims about the future of roads’ functions and uses contribute to reshaping the politics of space allocation as well as the ability of existing institutional arrangements and policy processes to accommodate such claims. It contributes to the work done in the MORE project by providing an analysis of the politics of road space allocation.

GROUND-STRUCTURE INTERACTION OF TWIN BOARD TUNNELS AND CROSS-PASSAGES IN SOFT GROUND PRESSURE BALANCE TUNNELING

Scipedia content — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 17:01:20 +0100

UTC-UTI Final Research Report 003: "GROUND-STRUCTURE INTERACTION OF TWIN BOARD TUNNELS AND CROSS-PASSAGES IN SOFT GROUND PRESSURE BALANCE TUNNELING"

Quiet Car Detectability: Impact of Artificial Noise on Ability of Pedestrians to Safely Detect Approaching Electric Vehicles

Scipedia content — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 16:58:52 +0100

Many auto manufacturers are now producing hybrid and electric vehicles with an additive noise component to signal vehicle presence in the same way that internal combustion engine vehicles signal their presence through engine noise. The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute conducted an evaluation of quiet car detectability as part of a GM-funded project in 2015–2016. The internal combustion engine benchmark significantly outperformed the other three vehicles under a 10-km/h steady approach, but these differences largely disappeared at 20 km/h due to increased tire and road noise. Trends of improved detectability offered by the additive noise signals were observed but did not demonstrate a significant advantage over an electric vehicle with no additional noise component. Since that original project, NHTSA has released their final version of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141, outlining “Minimum Sound Requirements for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles.” This project aimed to demonstrate differences in detectability by replicating the previous study but with newer FMVSS 141-compliant sounds. The proposed additive sounds examined drastically improved detectability compared to the production variants included in the first round of testing. At 10 km/h, the additive sound conditions outperformed the no-sound condition by magnitudes ranging from 3.4 to 4.6, each eliciting mean detection distances well above the NHTSA minimum detection criteria. At 20 km/h, detectability also improved dramatically over the earlier production variants, achieving a similar magnitude advantage over no-sound as observed at 10 km/h. Increasing background noise resulted in a measurable impact on mean detection distances. The average reduction across all conditions was approximately 33% and 28% for approach speeds of 10 km/h and 20 km/h, respectively. In terms of accurately recognizing a stopped vehicle in a 20 to 0 km/h scenario, all sound conditions significantly outperformed the no-sound condition across both background noise conditions.

GREEN TECHNOLOGY APPROACH FOR CAPTURING POLLUTION WASHED FROM TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURES

Scipedia content — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 16:56:09 +0100

The main goal of this study was to produce and extensively examine biochar as a potential material for the "em"in-situ"/em" adsorption of typical pollutants carried by the stormwater runoff from the transportation infrastructures. Biochar, a product of controlled pyrolysis of carbon-rich waste material is the best known for its adsorption capacity as typically used for agricultural applications. The individual source of organic waste material, and parameters of pyrolysis, such as duration, temperature, limitation of oxygen, etc., would influence its final properties, which will dictate the overall efficiency of "em"in situ"/em" adsorption.Several waste biomas were used as a starting material.

Delivering Road Safety in Nepal : Leadership Priorities and Initiatives to 2030

Scipedia content — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 16:55:50 +0100

Road crash deaths and injuries in Nepal have been on a sharp upward trajectory since the early 2000s. In fi scal year 2017–18, 2,541 road deaths were offi cially reported in Nepal, which is equivalent to a fatality rate of 8.59 per 100,000 population. In the same period, 4,144 serious injury and several minor injury victims were also offi cially reported. However, according to World Health Organization data the estimated fatality rate in 2016 was 15.9 per 100,000 population, which is nearly double the offi cial estimate. In 2016, vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists) accounted for around 72 percent of all road fatality victims, among the highest levels in the region, with pedestrians accounting for half of these. Road deaths have a disproportionate impact on the young, working age population. About 40 percent of people killed on Nepal’s roads in 2017 –18 were less than 26 years old. In 2016, transport injuries were the second leading cause of death among men aged 15–49-years.

Utilizing Graceful Failure As An Opportunity for Flood Mitigation Downstream to Protect Communities and Infrastructure

Scipedia content — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 16:49:37 +0100

In 2011, we observed how “graceful failure” through planned destruction of portions of the Birds Point Levee by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) was enacted to alleviate extreme flooding on the Mississippi River. This action, while flooding thousands of acres of croplands as intended, reduced flooding and potential damage to waterway infrastructure and populated communities downstream. Recent trends and future climatic projections indicate that we will have more of these “extreme” flooding situations in our future. Therefore, this project focused on exploring the potential feasibility to utilize other locations along the inland waterway system where “graceful failure” or planned breach of levees may be used as a means of flood protection for downstream communities and infrastructure. Spatial analysis techniques were used with development of specific criteria to screen national-level data sets to identify probable locations for such mitigative approaches. The criteria were primarily focused on identifying non-urbanized, non-developed land where intentional flooding for storage of flood waters would minimize impacts. Each location that was identified as a potential candidate was further evaluated for capacity for flood water detention. A consolidated set of areas were identified that could provide some storage capacity for flood mitigation. Additional engineering and localized analysis would be necessary to vet the areas for actual storage implementation. However, this study provides an example of an unconventional approach to flood mitigation on inland waterways which could reduce the need for disaster response and assist in transportation planning during extreme flood conditions.

Applying psychological concepts to assist the uptake of eHUBs

Scipedia content — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 16:47:08 +0100

In this note, we present ten recommendations to stimulate the uptake of eHUBs based on psychological concepts. These recommendations are translated into specific actions that cities can undertake to promote the uptake of eHUBs under car owners. In general, according to behaviour change principles1, citizens will start using the eHUBs (1) if they feel they are capable of using them, (2) if the physical and social environment is structured in such a way that they have the opportunity to use the eHUBs and (3) if they are motivated to use the HUB. The recommendations in this short note address either the capabilities, the opportunities or the motivation of citizens to use the HUBs.

IMAGING AHEAD OF TUNNEL BORING MACHINES WITH DC RESISTIVITY

Scipedia content — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 16:33:09 +0100

UTC-UTI Final Research Report 002: "IMAGING AHEAD OF TUNNEL BORING MACHINES WITH DC RESISTIVITY"

MarTREC Project Report for Effect of Permeability Variation of Expansive Yazoo Clay at the Maritime and Multimodal Transportation Infrastructure in Mississippi

Scipedia content — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 16:32:12 +0100

The existence of Yazoo clay soil in Mississippi frequently causes distress to the pavement and cause deformation at the slopes in highways and levees, which are a critical component in Maritime and multimodal transportation infrastructure. Each year, fixing the pavement requires a significant maintenance budget of MDOT. Also, the infiltration of the rainwater in the highway and levee slopes leads to landslides, which require millions of maintenance dollars each year. Due to the shrinkage and swelling behavior of the Yazoo clay, the hydraulic conductivity varies over the different seasons and has higher vertical permeability during the dry season. With high vertical permeability, the rainwater can easily percolate in the pavement subgrade and slopes, which accelerates the failure. However, a limited study is available on the change in hydraulic permeability of Yazoo clay soil. The current study investigates the change in unsaturated vertical and horizontal permeability and its effect on the maritime and multimodal infrastructures, especially on the pavement and slopes of highway embankment and levees. The details are presented in the final repor

The Impacts of Emerging Mobility Options and Vehicle Technologies on Travel Behavior

Scipedia content — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 16:27:26 +0100

EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF TUNNELS IN SQUEEZING GROUND CONDITIONS

Scipedia content — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 14:46:07 +0100

UTC-UTI Final Research Report 005: "EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF TUNNELS IN SQUEEZING GROUND CONDITIONS"

Governance cultures and sociotechnical imaginaries of self-driving vehicle technology

Scipedia content — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 12:45:57 +0100

Abstract As an emerging technology, the potential deployment of self-driving vehicles (SDVs) in cities is attributed with significant uncertainties and anticipated consequences requiring responsible governance of innovation processes. Despite a growing number of studies on policies and governance arrangements for managing the introduction of SDVs, there is a gap in understanding about country-specific governance strategies and approaches. This chapter addresses this gap by presenting a comparative analysis of SDV-related policy documents in Finland, UK, and Germany, three countries which are actively seeking to promote the introduction of SDVs and which have distinct administrative traditions. Our analytical framework is based on the set of premises about technology as a complex sociotechnical phenomenon, operationalized using governance cultures and sociotechnical imaginaries concepts. Our comparative policy document analysis focuses on the assumed roles for SDV technology, the identified domains and mechanisms of governance, and the assumed actors responsible for steering the development process. The results highlight similarities in pro-automation values across three different countries, while also uncovering important differences outside the domain of traditional transport policy instruments. In addition, the results identify different types of potential technological determinism, which could restrict opportunities for responsiveness and divergent visions of mobility futures in Europe. Concluding with a warning against further depolitization of technological development and a dominant focus on economic growth, we identify several necessary directions for further developing governance and experimentation processes.

Mobility on Demand in the United States

Scipedia content — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 12:41:22 +0100

The growth of shared mobility services and enabling technologies, such as smartphone apps, is contributing to the commodification and aggregation of transportation services. This chapter reviews terms and definitions related to Mobility on Demand (MOD) and Mobility as a Service (MaaS), the mobility marketplace, stakeholders, and enablers. This chapter also reviews the U.S. Department of Transportationâs MOD Sandbox Program, including common opportunities and challenges, partnerships, and case studies for employing on-demand mobility pilots and programs. The chapter concludes with a discussion of vehicle automation and on-demand mobility including pilot projects and the potential transformative impacts of shared automated vehicles on parking, land use, and the built environment.

Air Transport Management: An International Perspective 2nd Ed.

Scipedia content — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 12:35:00 +0100

Fusion the Coordinate Data of Airborne Objects in the Networks of Surveillance Radar Observation Systems

Scipedia content — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 12:33:54 +0100

In this paper, we provide a classification of surveillance radar surveillance systems of airspace, which are among the main information sources of the airspace control system and air traffic control. A brief description of the information processing process in survey radar systems for observing airspace is given and it is shown that the complexity of the processing system does not allow formalization and analysis of its robots as a whole; therefore, it is necessary to preliminarily divide the system into elements and study their functioning separately. The tasks of information processing at the stage of signal processing are considered, as well as a brief description of the primary, secondary and tertiary data processing. It is shown that the fusion of information from the same air objects can be carried out at all stages of data processing. It is shown that the transition to the assessment of the four-dimensional location (4D) of an airborne object changes the procedures for merging individual measurements carried out by various radar observation systems with different rates of data output. This is due to the fact, that from the output of the primary data processing by monitoring systems, an airborne object form is issued, which includes the time to estimate the coordinates of the airborne object with the necessary accuracy.

Scaling Genomics Data Processing with Memory-Driven Computing to Accelerate Computational Biology

Scipedia content — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 12:21:54 +0100

Research is increasingly becoming data-driven, and natural sciences are not an exception. In both biology and medicine, we are observing an exponential growth of structured data collections from experiments and population studies, enabling us to gain novel insights that would otherwise not be possible. However, these growing data sets pose a challenge for existing compute infrastructures since data is outgrowing limits within compute. In this work, we present the application of a novel approach, Memory-Driven Computing (MDC), in the life sciences. MDC proposes a data-centric approach that has been designed for growing data sizes and provides a composable infrastructure for changing workloads. In particular, we show how a typical pipeline for genomics data processing can be accelerated, and application modifications required to exploit this novel architecture. Furthermore, we demonstrate how the isolated evaluation of individual tasks misses significant overheads of typical pipelines in genomics data processing.

Transportation of Hazardous Materials

Scipedia content — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 12:03:23 +0100

The transportation of hazardous materials by pipeline, road, and rail is presented. The main accident scenarios that can occur in pipelines are commented. A methodology for the assessment of the risk associated with a pipeline is developed through an illustrative case. The associated frequencies and probabilities are given. A risk analysis procedure for road and rail transportation is presented. The main safety and emergency measures are commented. Finally, three real cases are analyzed.

Policy implications of the potential carbon dioxide (CO2) emission and energy impacts of highly automated vehicles

Scipedia content — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 12:02:31 +0100

Abstract This chapter explores the extent to which the adoption of highly automated vehicles (AVs) will lead to carbon dioxide (CO2) emission reduction in the future. Additionally, policy implications are given. Based on existing literature, this chapter shows that the adoption of AVs will result in a modest improvement of CO2 emission per kilometer traveled compared to non-autonomous vehicles in the future. Combined with the expectations that AVs will lead to a modest to, even, high growth in vehicle kilometers traveled (VKT) compared to business as usual, the net energy and CO2 emission balance for AVs seems, at its best, to be neutral, but is probably negative. The potential accelerating role of AVs in relation to the uptake of electric vehicles might have the largest positive impacts on the CO2 emissions per kilometer driven, but this accelerating role of AV technology in relation to the uptake of electric vehicles is uncertain. For the time being the most useful policy implication to curb road transport CO2 emissions seems to be to continue with policies that promote the use of alternatives for fossil fuels, such as electricity.

Attribute Assessment for Sustainable Transportation Planning for Metropolitan Cities: A Fuzzy Approach

Scipedia content — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 12:02:16 +0100

Research on Short-Term Urban Traffic Congestion Based on Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation and Machine Learning

Scipedia content — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 12:01:43 +0100

There are many factors that affect urban traffic flow. In the case of severe traffic congestion, the vehicle speed is very slow, which results in the GPS positioning systemâs estimation of the vehicle speed being very inaccurate, which in turn leads to poor reliability of the estimated congestion time of the road segment. The main contents of this study are: in the case of urban traffic congestion, the prediction and analysis of the degree of traffic congestion and the length of congestion. Taking the dynamic traffic data of Shenzhen on June 9, 2014 as an example, the road section of Binhe Avenue is selected, and the data of traffic flow, average speed of traffic volume and traffic volume density in the current time period are calculated after data preprocessing, as a measure of traffic. The main impact indicators of congestion status. Then we use the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method to divide TSI as a traffic congestion evaluation index and divide the road congestion into four levels. In this way, we can get the congestion of the road in each time period of the day and the time required to pass. Then we use the random forest, adaboost, GBDT, Lasso CV and BP neural networks in the machine learning algorithm to build models to measure traffic congestion for training and testing. Finally, the BP neural network has the best effect on this problem, and mean square error is 0.0190. Finally, we used BP neural network to predict and congest the road in the next three hours. From the experimental simulation results, this method can effectively analyze and predict the real-time traffic congestion.

Integrated On-demand Modeling for Configuration of Trusted ICT Supply Chains

Scipedia content — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 11:24:50 +0100

Digital enterprises and their networks increasingly rely on advanced decision-making capabilities, however, development of decision-making models requires significant effort and is often performed independently of other digitalization activities. Additionally, dynamic nature of many decision-making problems requires rapid ramp-up of decision-making capabilities. To addresses these challenges, this position paper proposes to elaborate a method for integrated on-demand decision modeling. The method combines mathematical programming and data analytics models to create case specific models on the basis of generic decision-making models. The integrated model and its data supply pipelines are configured using enterprise models allowing for consistent and rapid model deployment. The integrated model is intended for the trusted ICT supply chain configuration problem though it can be used for solving various types of decision-making problems. The main expected results are formulation of the new type decision-making model and the method for on-demand configuration of such models.

Mobility

Scipedia content — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 11:22:23 +0100

International audience; This chapter looks at how sustainable mobility in Bordeaux, France, has largely come to be consolidated in planning for intermodality. The current transport network in the metropolitan area (comprising 28 municipalities, 800,000 inhabitants) is made up of a road system with a low capacity for change, a public transport system that has reached the limit of its capacity (i.e., the tram network) and the promotion of new forms of mobility (carpooling, cycling, walking) which are conditional upon a change of practices and habits among the residents. The major challenge for the local government is to define a new mobility offer based on better concentric links that can optimize the existing network and deliver the necessary improved connections between residential and economic areas in the growing metropolitan area. This need for an improved transport network has been coupled with the emergence of a change in urban planning in Bordeaux that focuses on densification along the public transport axes. The notions of multimodality and intermodality, which are associated with stations and interchange hubs, have become the main tools for a shifting mobility offer, and they are now an integral part of the local governmentâs attempts to achieve a less energy-intensive metropolis.

AVATAR - Machine Learning Pipeline Evaluation Using Surrogate Model

Scipedia content — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 11:22:06 +0100

The evaluation of machine learning (ML) pipelines is essential during automatic ML pipeline composition and optimisation. The previous methods such as Bayesian-based and genetic-based optimisation, which are implemented in Auto-Weka, Auto-sklearn and TPOT, evaluate pipelines by executing them. Therefore, the pipeline composition and optimisation of these methods requires a tremendous amount of time that prevents them from exploring complex pipelines to find better predictive models. To further explore this research challenge, we have conducted experiments showing that many of the generated pipelines are invalid, and it is unnecessary to execute them to find out whether they are good pipelines. To address this issue, we propose a novel method to evaluate the validity of ML pipelines using a surrogate model (AVATAR). The AVATAR enables to accelerate automatic ML pipeline composition and optimisation by quickly ignoring invalid pipelines. Our experiments show that the AVATAR is more efficient in evaluating complex pipelines in comparison with the traditional evaluation approaches requiring their execution.

Document type: Part of book or chapter of book

ICAO Risk Tolerability Solution via Complex Indicators of Air Traffic Control Students’ Attitude to Risk

Scipedia content — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 11:17:12 +0100

Human-automation teamwork : Current practices and future directions in air traffic control

Scipedia content — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 11:16:42 +0100

This dissertation explores the topic of human-automation teamwork in Air Traffic Control (ATC). ATC is a high stakes environment where complex automation is being introduced while the human operator has the legal responsibility. With increasing demands on productivity in various industries (as also in ATC), automation is introduced for efficiency, maintaining safety, and to keep the workload of the human operator within acceptable limits. However, previous research has shown that automation may cause negative effects on the human operator and performance, such as forcing the operator out of the control loop, which might lead to problems or confusion. Previous research suggests a need for strengthening human-automation collaboration where automation is seen as a team member to keep the operator in the loop. In order to achieve such teamwork, the design of the automation needs to be human-centred, i.e. that the automation is designed for the underlying need of the operator. The aim of this dissertation is to explore teamwork in ATC from several angles to understand how the air traffic controllers are working in current ATC environments and how automation could be designed to support human-automation teamwork. The included studies rely on interviews, simulations, and questionnaires, all with operational air traffic controllers as participants. The results indicate that for both human-human teamwork and human-automation teamwork, teamwork factors such as adaptability and mutual performance monitoring (knowing what the other team members are doing) are important for the work performance in current ATC environments, where mutual performance monitoring is especially important during stressful situations. When designing automation, lessons learned from human-human teamwork should be considered. The work within the scope of this dissertation identifies and concerns two human-automation teamwork aspects: boundary awareness and implicit communication. These are proposed to support the operatorâs knowledge about the automation and the communication flow between the operator and the automation. Boundary awareness is the operatorâs knowledge of the automationâs abilities, its boundaries (what it can or cannot manage), and about consequences if it would go outside of these boundaries. Implicit communication is the unspoken or implied small cues that the operator and the automation can use to communicate with each other. It is proposed that implicit communication can be based on the work patterns of the operator. The knowledge gained through the work in this dissertation can be used as a foundation for further research and design of automation regarding operator knowledge about the automation boundaries and the communication within the team. Denna avhandling utforskar teamwork mellan mÃ¤nniska och automation inom flygtrafikledning. Flygtrafikledning Ã¤r en hÃ¶griskmiljÃ¶ dÃ¤r komplex automation introduceras samtidigt som den mÃ¤nskliga operatÃ¶ren har det juridiska ansvaret. Med Ã¶kade krav pÃ¥ produktivitet inom olika industrier (och Ã¤ven inom flygtrafikledning) sÃ¥ introduceras automation fÃ¶r effektiviteten, fÃ¶r att bibehÃ¥lla sÃ¤kerheten och fÃ¶r att hÃ¥lla arbetsbelastningen fÃ¶r den mÃ¤nskliga operatÃ¶ren inom acceptabla grÃ¤nser. Tidigare forskning har dÃ¤remot visat att automationen kan orsaka negativa effekter pÃ¥ den mÃ¤nskliga operatÃ¶ren och pÃ¥ prestationen, som till exempel att tvinga ut operatÃ¶ren utanfÃ¶r kontrolloopen vilket leder till problem och fÃ¶rvirring. Tidigare forskning fÃ¶reslÃ¥r ett starkare samarbete mellan mÃ¤nniska och automation dÃ¤r automationen Ã¤r sedd som en teammedlem fÃ¶r att behÃ¥lla operatÃ¶ren i loopen. FÃ¶r att uppnÃ¥ ett sÃ¥dant samarbete behÃ¶ver automation vara mÃ¤nnisko-centrerad, att automation med andra ord Ã¤r designad fÃ¶r operatÃ¶rens underliggande behov. Syftet med denna avhandling Ã¤r att utforska teamwork frÃ¥n olika vinklar inom flygtrafikledning fÃ¶r att fÃ¶rstÃ¥ hur flygledare jobbar i nuvarande flygtrafikledningsmiljÃ¶er och fÃ¶r att fÃ¶rstÃ¥ hur automation skulle kunna designas fÃ¶r att stÃ¶dja teamwork mellan mÃ¤nniska och automation. Studierna som denna avhandling bygger pÃ¥ har anvÃ¤nt sig av intervjuer, simuleringar och enkÃ¤ter, alla med operativa flygtrafikledare som deltagare. Resultatet tyder pÃ¥ att fÃ¶r bÃ¥de mÃ¤nniska-mÃ¤nniska teamwork och mÃ¤nniska-automations teamwork sÃ¥ Ã¤r teamwork faktorer sÃ¥ som flexibilitet och Ã¶msesidig Ã¶vervakning av teammedlemmarnas prestationer viktiga dÃ¤r Ã¶vervakning av teammedlemmarnas prestationer Ã¤r speciellt viktigt under stressiga situationer. NÃ¤r man designar automation bÃ¶r man ta lÃ¤rdom frÃ¥n teamwork mellan mÃ¤nniskor. Vidare sÃ¥ identifierar och behandlar arbetet inom denna avhandling tvÃ¥ aspekter gÃ¤llande teamwork mellan mÃ¤nniska och automation: grÃ¤nsmedvetenhet och implicit kommunikation. Dessa aspekter Ã¤r fÃ¶reslagna vi att stÃ¶tta operatÃ¶rens kunskap om automationen och kommunikationsflÃ¶det mellan operatÃ¶ren och automationen. GrÃ¤nsmedvetenhet Ã¤r operatÃ¶rens kunskap om automationens fÃ¶rmÃ¥gor, dess grÃ¤nser och dess konsekvenser nÃ¤r automation gÃ¥r utanfÃ¶r dessa grÃ¤nser. Implicit kommunikation Ã¤r de outtalade eller implicita ledtrÃ¥dar som operatÃ¶ren och automationen kan anvÃ¤nda fÃ¶r att kommunicera med varandra. Det Ã¤r fÃ¶reslaget att implicit kommunikation kan baseras pÃ¥ arbetsmÃ¶nster frÃ¥n operatÃ¶ren eller frÃ¥n prediktioner frÃ¥n automationen. Kunskapen frÃ¥n denna avhandling kan anvÃ¤ndas som ett underlagfÃ¶r vidare forskning och design av automation gÃ¤llande operatÃ¶rers kunskap om automationens grÃ¤nser och kommunikationen inom teamet.

Blended Antilock Braking System Control Method for All-Wheel Drive Electric Sport Utility Vehicle

Scipedia content — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 11:01:38 +0100

At least two different actuators work in cooperation in regenerative braking for electric and hybrid vehicles. Torque blending is an important area, which is responsible for better manoeuvrability, reduced braking distance, improved riding comfort, etc. In this paper, a control method for electric vehicle blended antilock braking system based on fuzzy logic is promoted. The principle prioritizes usage of electric motor actuators to maximize recuperation energy during deceleration process. Moreover, for supreme efficiency it considers the batteryâs state of charge for switching between electric motor and conventional electrohydraulic brakes. To demonstrate the functionality of the controller under changing dynamic conditions, a hardware-in-the-loop simulation with real electrohydraulic brakes test bed is utilized. In particular, the experiment is designed to exceed the state-of-charge threshold during braking operation, what leads to immediate switch between regenerative and friction brake modes.

Document type: Part of book or chapter of book

The Evaluation of Traffic Congestion Analysis for the Srinagar City Under Mixed Traffic Conditions

Scipedia content — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 10:38:51 +0100

Machine Learning and Text Analysis in an Artificial Intelligent System for the Training of Air Traffic Controllers

Scipedia content — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 10:36:47 +0100

This chapter presents the application of new information technology in education for the training of air traffic controllers (ATCs). Machine learning, multi-criteria decision analysis, and text analysis as the methods of artificial intelligence for ATCs training have been described. The authors have made an analysis of the International Civil Aviation Organization documents for modern principles of ATCs education. The prototype of the neural network for evaluating the timeliness and correctness of the decision making by ATCs has been developed. The new theoretical and practical tasks for simulation and pre-simulation training have been obtained using expert judgment method. The methodology for sentiment analyzing the airline customers' opinions has been proposed. In addition, the examples of artificial intelligence systems and expert systems by the authors, students and colleagues from National Aviation University, Ukraine and Gdansk University of Technology, Poland have been proposed.

Diakoptical Method of Inter-area Routing with Load Balancing in a Telecommunication Network

Scipedia content — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 10:35:01 +0100

In this paper, the diakoptical method of inter-area routing with load balancing in a telecommunication network was proposed. The method allows to increase the scalability of routing solutions in comparison with the centralized approach without reducing the efficiency of the network, estimated by the maximum value of link load threshold. The method involves the decomposition of the general routing problem in a multi-area network into several routing subtasks of smaller size that can be solved for each individual area followed by combining the solutions obtained for the whole telecommunication network. The foundation of the method is a flow-based routing model based on the implementation of the concept of Traffic Engineering and focused on minimizing the maximum value of link load threshold. The results of the analysis confirmed the operability of the method on a variety of numerical examples and demonstrated the full correspondence of the efficiency of the obtained diakoptical routing solutions to the centralized approach. The advantage of the proposed method is also the absence of the need to coordinate routing solutions received on subnetworks, which positively affects both the time of solving the set task and the amount of service traffic circulated in the network associated with the transfer of data on the state of network areas and coordinating information.

Optimization of the Quality of Information Support for Consumers of Cooperative Surveillance Systems

Scipedia content — Thu, 21 Jan 2021 15:46:21 +0100

The paper discusses the place and the role of cooperative airspace surveillance systems in the information support of airspace use and air traffic control systems. A brief description of the signals used in the considering systems is given. Based on the presentation of cooperative surveillance systems as two-channel data transmission systems, the statistical interpretation of consumer data transmission is considered and it is shown that the probability of information support can be an integral quality indicator of consumers information support in the considered systems. That is defined as the product of the probability of detecting the request signals by the aircraft responder, aircraft responder availability factor, probability of detection of an air object by the requester, the probability of correct reception of on-board information and the probability of combining the flight and coordinate information. The variants for optimization each of the components of these probabilities are considered. The optimization issues of measurement parameters of signals in cooperative observation systems, which determine the probability of combining flight and coordinate information, are also considered.

Achieving Driving Comfort of AVs by Combined Longitudinal and Lateral Motion Control

Scipedia content — Thu, 21 Jan 2021 15:31:34 +0100

As automated vehicles (AVs) are moving closer to practical reality, one of the problems that needs to be resolved is how to achieve an acceptable and natural risk management behaviour for the on-board users. Cautious automated driving behaviour is normally demonstrated during the AV testing, by which the safety issue between the AV and other road users or other static risk elements can be guaranteed. However, excessive cautiousness of the AVs may lead to traffic congestion and strange behaviour that will not be accepted by drivers and other road users. Human-like automated driving, as an emerging technique, has been concentrated on mimicking a human driverâs behaviour in order that the behaviour of the AVs can provide an acceptable behaviour for both the drivers (and passengers) and the other road users. The human driversâ behaviour was obtained through simulator based driving and this study developed a nonlinear model predictive control to optimise risk management behaviour of AVs by taking into account human-driven vehiclesâ behaviour, in both longitudinal and lateral directions.

Extracting User Behavior at Electric Vehicle Charging Stations with Transformer Deep Learning Models

Scipedia content — Thu, 21 Jan 2021 15:24:27 +0100

[EN] Mobile applications have become widely popular for their ability to access real-time information. In electric vehicle (EV) mobility, these applications are used by drivers to locate charging stations in public spaces, pay for charging transactions, and engage with other users. This activity generates a rich source of data about charging infrastructure and behavior. However, an increasing share of this data is stored as unstructured textâinhibiting our ability to interpret behavior in real-time. In this article, we implement recent transformer-based deep learning algorithms, BERT and XLnet, that have been tailored to automatically classify short user reviews about EV charging experiences. We achieve classification results with a mean accuracy of over 91% and a mean F1 score of over 0.81 allowing for more precise detection of topic categories, even in the presence of highly imbalanced data. Using these classification algorithms as a pre-processing step, we analyze a U.S. national dataset with econometric methods to discover the dominant topics of discourse in charging infrastructure. After adjusting for station characteristics and other factors, we find that the functionality of a charging station is the dominant topic among EV drivers and is more likely to be discussed at points-of-interest with negative user experiences. Marchetto, D.; Ha, S.; Dharur, S.; Asensio, O. (2020). Extracting User Behavior at Electric Vehicle Charging Stations with Transformer Deep Learning Models. Editorial Universitat PolitÃ¨cnica de ValÃ¨ncia. 153-162. https://doi.org/10.4995/CARMA2020.2020.11613 OCS 153 162

Black Box Explanation by Learning Image Exemplars in the Latent Feature Space

Scipedia content — Thu, 21 Jan 2021 15:19:19 +0100

We present an approach to explain the decisions of black box models for image classification. While using the black box to label images, our explanation method exploits the latent feature space learned through an adversarial autoencoder. The proposed method first generates exemplar images in the latent feature space and learns a decision tree classifier. Then, it selects and decodes exemplars respecting local decision rules. Finally, it visualizes them in a manner that shows to the user how the exemplars can be modified to either stay within their class, or to become counter-factuals by "morphing" into another class. Since we focus on black box decision systems for image classification, the explanation obtained from the exemplars also provides a saliency map highlighting the areas of the image that contribute to its classification, and areas of the image that push it into another class. We present the results of an experimental evaluation on three datasets and two black box models. Besides providing the most useful and interpretable explanations, we show that the proposed method outperforms existing explainers in terms of fidelity, relevance, coherence, and stability.

Localization and grasping of small load carriers with autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles

Scipedia content — Thu, 21 Jan 2021 15:18:22 +0100

The application of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in the area of inspection, survey or urban logistics has become a rapidly developing research domain. While the feasibility of material transports with UAVs has already been shown in the scope of different projects, the payload is thereby usually transferred manually into the UAVâs load handling device. A decisive factor for the economic usability of UAVs for aerial transportation, however, is a fully automated system including the autonomous recognition and pick-up of the cargo. We therefore present a solution for the automated detection, localization and grasping of small load carriers with UAVs. The system includes a specialized load handing device, a camera-based real-time tracking solution for small load carriers and a fusion of the global and relative position measurements to achieve the in-flight positioning accuracy required for the autonomous cargo pick-up.

Document type: Part of book or chapter of book

The Pathway to Sustainable Transport

Scipedia content — Thu, 21 Jan 2021 14:58:13 +0100

Section VI: Submarine Cables and Pipelines

Scipedia content — Thu, 21 Jan 2021 14:53:48 +0100

Document type: Part of book or chapter of book

Air Traffic Complexity as a Source of Risk in ATM

Scipedia content — Thu, 21 Jan 2021 14:51:43 +0100

Study of Severe Trauma Mechanism of Victims and Prediction of Outcomes of Patients in Road Transport and Other Accidents: Forensic and Clinic Issues

Scipedia content — Thu, 21 Jan 2021 14:44:41 +0100

Study on the feasibility, costs and benefits of retrofitting advanced driver assistance to improve road safety

Scipedia content — Thu, 21 Jan 2021 14:42:34 +0100

The European Parliament has adopted regulation (EU) 2019/2144, which will make several ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) mandatory in new models from June 2022 onward and in all new vehicles from June 2024 onwards. However, due to the slow renewal of the vehicle fleet, it will take several years before a meaningful portion of the fleet is equipped with these lifesaving systems. To compensate for this, the safety of existing vehicles could be improved with retrofit ADAS systems. The objective of this study is to assess the feasibility, costs and benefits of retrofitting ADAS. This study examined the technical feasibility of various retrofit ADAS systems and assessed the following in greater detail: Forward Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning, Advanced Driver Distraction Warning, Speed Limit Information, Reversing Detection, Tyre Pressure Monitoring system, Turn Assistant for trucks and 112 eCall. The study examines the potential safety impacts of retrofitting the vehicle fleet and presents a cost-benefit assessment for the measures. This report addresses voluntarily installable measures as well as mandatory measures.

Proceedings of the Academic Track at State of the Map 2020

Scipedia content — Thu, 21 Jan 2021 14:39:40 +0100

Proceedings of the Academic Track at State of the Map 2020 - Online (originally planned in Cape Town, South Africa), July 4-6, 2020. Editors Marco Minghini â European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Ispra, Italy Serena Coetzee, Department of Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorology, University of Pretoria Levente JuhÃ¡sz â GIS Center, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States A. Yair Grinberger â Department of Geography, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel Peter Mooney â Department of Computer Science, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Ireland Godwin Yeboah â Institute for Global Sustainable Development, School of Cross-faculty Studies, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom

Enacting Data Science Pipelines for Exploring Graphs: From Libraries to Studios

Scipedia content — Thu, 21 Jan 2021 14:39:28 +0100

This paper proposes a study of existing environments used to enact data science pipelines applied to graphs. Data science pipelines are a new form of queries combining classic graph operations with artificial intelligence graph analytics operations. A pipeline defines a data flow consisting of tasks for querying, exploring and analysing graphs. Different environments and systems can be used for enacting pipelines. They range from graph NoSQL stores, programming languages extended with libraries providing graph processing and analytics functions, to full machine learning and artificial intelligence studios. The paper describes these environments and the design principles that they promote for enacting data science pipelines intended to query, process and explore data collections and particularly graphs.

An Overview Across Europe

Scipedia content — Thu, 21 Jan 2021 14:32:19 +0100

This paper gathers experiences and results from several demonstration projects in the field of grid integration of electric vehicles. The analyzed research projects are selected among research institutes and universities that are part of the European Energy Research Alliance Joint Program on Smart Grids. The paper provides an overview of recent trends in the field of electric vehicles integration issues and then dives deeper into specific aspects of each project. Twelve research projects are presented in general terms, while detailed information can be retrieved from the references and the websites. Although each project has its focus, a common element that can be devised is that the charging process can be technically controlled based on different interests and algorithms, but its role in the market is still under development. Particular focus is always given to the behavior of the user, which ultimately determines the possible level of flexibility that the electric vehicle can provide to the grid.

Green Transportation in Green Supply Chain Management

Scipedia content — Thu, 21 Jan 2021 14:28:06 +0100

Evolution of Scikit-Learn Pipelines with Dynamic Structured Grammatical Evolution

Scipedia content — Thu, 21 Jan 2021 14:24:52 +0100

The deployment of Machine Learning (ML) models is a difficult and time-consuming job that comprises a series of sequential and correlated tasks that go from the data pre-processing, and the design and extraction of features, to the choice of the ML algorithm and its parameterisation. The task is even more challenging considering that the design of features is in many cases problem specific, and thus requires domain-expertise. To overcome these limitations Automated Machine Learning (AutoML) methods seek to automate, with few or no human-intervention, the design of pipelines, i.e., automate the selection of the sequence of methods that have to be applied to the raw data. These methods have the potential to enable non-expert users to use ML, and provide expert users with solutions that they would unlikely consider. In particular, this paper describes AutoML-DSGE - a novel grammar-based framework that adapts Dynamic Structured Grammatical Evolution (DSGE) to the evolution of Scikit-Learn classification pipelines. The experimental results include comparing AutoML-DSGE to another grammar-based AutoML framework, Resilient ClassificationPipeline Evolution (RECIPE), and show that the average performance of the classification pipelines generated by AutoML-DSGE is always superior to the average performance of RECIPE; the differences are statistically significant in 3 out of the 10 used datasets.

Education and training

Scipedia content — Thu, 21 Jan 2021 14:18:55 +0100

The Institution of Plant Engineers (IPlantE) had its origins in the Second World War, when engineers who found themselves responsible for the operation and maintenance of the large excavators and other mobile plant brought from the USA to work open-cast coal met together for the exchange of information and to discuss their problems. These meetings were so successful that the engineers concerned decided to continue them in a more formal manner through the medium of a properly incorporated body. The Institution amalgamated with the Institute of Road Transport Engineers to form a new body called the Society of Operations Engineers (SOE). The Society of Operations Engineers is a small-scale reflection of the engineering profession as a whole, embracing a wide range of disciplines and activities. The purpose of the Society is to promote safe, efficient, and environmentally sustainable operations engineering to the benefit of society. Its vision is to be the preferred professional body for those engaged in the life cycle management of systems, facilities, vehicles, and equipment, and the recognized authority on these matters.

Flera Föreställningar av den Fossilfria Framtiden : Biogas och El i Svensk Stadstrafik

Scipedia content — Thu, 21 Jan 2021 14:17:30 +0100

IIn the wake of the climate crisis, it has become increasingly evident that the fossil fuel-based transport system must undergo a global transformation. Numerous renewable fuel alternatives have been suggested, accompanied by imaginaries of how these technologies will contribute to a better future. These imaginaries have a wide-ranging impact because the implementation of each alternative technology will require the build-up of multifarious socio-technical ensembles that support their use. As a result, replacing fossil fuels with these renewable alternatives is likely to be a complex process. This dissertation considers the emergence of two such visions of renewable fuels studying imaginaries of biogas and electricity in the Swedish context. Biogas has a long history of use as a transport fuel in Sweden, where although it makes up a small percentage of total fuel use it also forms the basis of numerous municipal public transport systems. Meanwhile, electric vehicles have become increasingly attractive as more actors subscribe to an imaginary that sees the future of vehicles as shared, autonomous, and electric. This interaction is exemplified in urban public transportation as many municipalities begin to implement electric buses in an attempt to increase energy efficiency and reduce pollution. This thesis follows three case studies where the imaginaries of biogas and electric vehicles interact: urban public transport in the municipalities of Linköping and Malmö and analysis of a comprehensive national policy document Fossil fuel freedom on the road. It contributes to a wider understanding of how visions can influence obduracy and change of transport alternatives within the wider transformation to a fossil fuel free future.

Traffic, Air Pollution, and Distributional Impacts in Dar es Salaam: A Spatial Analysis with New Satellite Data

Scipedia content — Thu, 21 Jan 2021 13:49:37 +0100

Air pollution from vehicular traffic is a major source of health damage in urban areas. The problems of urban traffic and pollution are essentially geographic, because their incidence and impacts depend on the spatial distribution of economic activities, households, and transport links. This paper uses satellite images to investigate the spatial dynamics of vehicle traffic, air pollution, and exposure of vulnerable residents in the Dar es Salaam metro region of Tanzania. The results highlight significant impacts of seasonal weather (temperature, humidity, and wind-speed factors) on the spatial distribution and intensity of air pollution from vehicle emissions. These effects on the metro region's air quality vary highly by area. During seasons when weather factors maximize pollution, the worst exposure occurs in areas along the wind path of high-traffic roadways. The research identifies core areas where congestion reduction would yield the greatest exposure reduction for children and the elderly in poor households.

Corrosion Wear of Pipelines and Equipment in Complex Stress-Strain State

Scipedia content — Thu, 21 Jan 2021 13:44:54 +0100

Assessing Cognitive Processing and Human Factors Challenges in NextGen Air Traffic Control Tower Team Operations

Scipedia content — Thu, 21 Jan 2021 13:36:43 +0100

Previous research of Terminal Radar Control Facilities and Standard Terminal Automation Replacement Systems interactions by the authors examined how combined NextGen digitized technology affects air traffic controller functions. Applying their updated SHELL model, human factors implications on the Tower Team before and after implementing NextGen technology were examined, focusing on cognitive loading and automated functions affecting each team member. A survey examined where cognitive difficulties occur when controllers are responsible for multiple screen views, remote airfields or helipads, and digitized cameras and blind spots. Scanning challenges were identified where local traffic, ground operations, and data converge onto one screen, and when attention is diverted to distant screens. Also studied were automatic aircraft handoffs and potential for missed handoffs, and, assessing changes from voice communication to text messaging for human error. Findings indicated a necessity for controllers to manage balanced tasking, vigilance pacing, and resource management.

On the Use of Smartphone Sensors for Developing Advanced Driver Assistance Systems

Scipedia content — Thu, 21 Jan 2021 13:27:50 +0100

Technological evolution impacts several industries, including automotive. The combination of software with advancements in sensory capabilities results in new Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS). The pervasiveness of smartphones and their sensory capabilities makes them an solid platform for the development of ADAS. Our work is motivated by concerns on the reliability of data acquired from such devices for developing ADAS. We performed a number of controlled experiments to understand which factors impact the collection of accelerometer data with smartphones. We conclude that the quality of data acquired is not significantly affected by using different smartphones, car mounts, rates of sampling, or vehicles for the purpose of developing ADAS. Our results indicate that smartphone sensors can be used to develop ADAS. Research sponsored by the Portugal Incentive System for Research and TechnologicalDevelopment. Project in co-promotion no. 002797/2015 (INNOVCAR 2015-2018).

Introducing automated shuttles in the public transport of European cities: The case of the AVENUE project.

Scipedia content — Thu, 21 Jan 2021 13:22:15 +0100

International audience

Analytic Prognostic in the Linear Damage Case Applied to Buried Petrochemical Pipelines and the Complex Probability Paradigm

Scipedia content — Thu, 21 Jan 2021 13:21:41 +0100

In 1933, Andrey Nikolaevich Kolmogorov established the system of five axioms that define the concept of mathematical probability. This system can be developed to include the set of imaginary numbers by adding a supplementary three original axioms. Therefore, any experiment can be performed in the set C of complex probabilities which is the summation of the set R of real probabilities and the set M of imaginary probabilities. The purpose here is to include additional imaginary dimensions to the experiment taking place in the "real" laboratory in R and hence to evaluate all the probabilities. Consequently, the probability in the entire set C = R + M is permanently equal to one no matter what the stochastic distribution of the input random variable in R is; therefore the outcome of the probabilistic experiment in C can be determined perfectly. This is due to the fact that the probability in C is calculated after subtracting from the degree of our knowledge the chaotic factor of the random experiment. Consequently, the purpose in this chapter is to join my complex probability paradigm to the analytic prognostic of buried petrochemical pipelines in the case of linear damage accumulation. Accordingly, after the calculation of the novel prognostic model parameters, we will be able to evaluate the degree of knowledge, the magnitude of the chaotic factor, the complex probability, the probabilities of the system failure and survival, and the probability of the remaining useful lifetime; after that a pressure time t has been applied to the pipeline, which are all functions of the system degradation subject to random and stochastic influences.

Big Data in Transportation: An Economics Perspective

Scipedia content — Thu, 21 Jan 2021 13:03:19 +0100

This paper reviews the emerging big data literature applied to urban transportation issues from the perspective of economic research. It provides a typology of big data sources relevant to transportation analyses and describes how these data can be used to measure mobility, associated externalities, and welfare impacts. As an application, it showcases the use of daily traffic conditions data in various developed and developing country cities to estimate the causal impact of stay-at-home orders during the Covid-19 pandemic on traffic congestion in Bogota, New Dehli, New York, and Paris. In light of the advances in big data analytics, the paper concludes with a discussion on policy opportunities and challenges.

Variational problem for hydrogenerator thrust bearing

Olga Antonova — Tue, 29 Dec 2020 16:56:02 +0100

Reversible and irreversible heavy loaded thrust bearings of a hydrogenerator are investigated. The problem of oil wedge microgeometry profiling for load capacity optimization is considered. The analysis is based on optimization methods using variational calculus. The results of oil wedge microgeometry optimization for reversible and irreversible thrust bearings are presented.

Metodología de reproducibilidad para estudios estadísticos de una población

Gerardo Tinoco-Guerrero — Mon, 21 Dec 2020 17:15:03 +0100

En este artículo se presenta una metodología basada en la Ciencia de Datos que proporciona herramientas estadísticas y computacionales para llevar a cabo una estructuración óptima, limpieza y reproducibilidad de datos provenientes de encuestas u otros instrumentos de medición, con el fin de realizar análisis exploratorios confiables para extraer la información subyacente de los datos, que permita avalar la toma de decisiones y el establecimiento de políticas públicas frente a problemáticas de interés social. El ejemplo de aplicación de esta metodología corresponde al estudio estadístico realizado para identificar las 10 principales causas de defunción en la población infantil de los estados de Coahuila y Chihuahua, México.

Clúster de PCs tipo Beowulf Utilizado en un Problema de Segmentación de Imágenes Médicas

Gerardo Tinoco-Guerrero — Mon, 21 Dec 2020 17:04:40 +0100

En este trabajo se muestran las etapas principales de la implantación de un Clúster tipo Beowulf, en la Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas de la Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila. En éste se implementó el algoritmo de agrupamiento de datos K-Means, con la finalidad de distribuir (no de paralelizar) el proceso de clasificación de píxeles en las imágenes. También se realizó un preprocesamiento para la selección de los centroides iniciales requeridos por el algoritmo para una mejor segmentación de imágenes, que como se mostrará logra mejores resultados para el análisis de imágenes digitales médicas, como la segmentación de las mamografías que buscan microcalcificaciones dentro de la mama, que las obtenidas al implantarse de forma secuencial.

Suitability for coding of the Colebrook’s flow friction relation expressed by symbolic regression approximations of the Wright-ω function

Dejan Brkić — Sun, 13 Dec 2020 23:18:02 +0100

This article analyses a form of the empirical Colebrook’s pipe flow friction equation given originally by the Lambert W-function and recently also by the Wright ω-function. These special functions are used to explicitly express the unknown flow friction factor of the Colebrook equation, which is in its classical formulation given implicitly. Explicit approximations of the Colebrook equation based on approximations of the Wright ω-function given by an asymptotic expansion and symbolic regression were analyzed in respect of speed and accuracy. Numerical experiments on 8 million Sobol’s quasi-Monte points clearly show that also both approaches lead to the approximately same complexity in terms of speed of execution in computers. However, the relative error of the developed symbolic regression-based approximations is reduced significantly, in comparison with the classical basic asymptotic expansion. These numerical results indicate promising results of artificial intelligence (symbolic regression) for developing fast and accurate explicit approximations.

PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS: PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE

Benjamin Colucci — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 17:35:02 +0100

Pavement management is a decision-making process of vital importance for the preservation of road infrastructure. The planning, programming, and execution of maintenance and rehabilitation activities to preserve the road infrastructure at an adequate level of service requires a large investment of resources. The availability of these resources, including budgetary constraints, and the progressive deterioration of the pavements due to the action of traffic loads and environmental factors create a complex problem to be solved during the management process. The purpose of pavement management practices is to find the best strategy to provide the desired level of service. From a broader perspective, pavement management covers all phases of planning, programming, analysis, design, construction, and research. A Pavement Management System (PMS) is a tool that helps agencies make cost-effective decisions about maintenance and rehabilitation policies. PMPs allow evaluating alternative strategies and predicting the impact of maintenance and rehabilitation interventions on the future performance of the pavement network. This technical article describes the evolution of pavement management systems in an effort to face the great challenge of preserving road infrastructure efficiently to provide an adequate level of service to users.

Formulación variacional de un modelo continuo en EDP's de la angiogénesis inducida por tumor

Justino Alavez-Ramírez — Tue, 08 Dec 2020 17:05:02 +0100

En este trabajo retomamos el modelo matemático de Anderson y Chaplain (1998) formado por tres ecuaciones diferenciales, que describe la respuesta migratoria inicial de las células endoteliales al factor angiogénico tumoral (TAF) y a la fibronectina. Aplicamos el método variacional a los problemas de contorno mixto homogéneo y no homogéneo, que surgen del modelo antes citado, para demostrar la existencia, unicidad y dependencia continua respecto de los datos de la solución débil de dichos problemas.

The dynamic characteristics of backfill made of mining waste at one-dimensional dynamic and static loading

Yunpeng Zhang — Wed, 02 Dec 2020 15:29:43 +0100

Backfill is widely used in underground mines around the world for its effective reduction in environmental impact of mining operations by utilizing a part of mine waste as underground backfill material. The strength of backfill plays a critical role in improving stop stability and preventing surface subsidence. In this paper, a series of SHPB (Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar) tests with different strain rates and static axial pressures are conducted. The results show that: (1) The dynamic strength of the backfill specimen increases first and then decreases with the increase of static axial pressure. It reaches a maximum when the static axial pressure reaches 30% of the static compressive strength in the SHPB test. (2) The stress-strain curves of backfill specimens can be divided into three stages: elastic stage, yield stage and failure stage. The compaction stage is obscure. The backfill specimens are not sensitive at low strain rate. (3)With the increase of incident energy, the absorbed energy mounts. (4) The failure mode of the backfill specimen is tensile failure when static axial pressure is 0MPa in the SHPB test while it becomes compression shear failure when static axial pressure is higher than 0MPa. (5) The backfill specimen is very compressed when it is loaded with axial stress and confining stress simultaneously. This compression property of backfill specimen may be related to the nature of hydration products at different curing times, which requires further research in the future.

A numerical approximation for build the stress/strain diagram with just the maximum load obtained

José Alberto Guzmán Torres — Wed, 02 Dec 2020 01:39:23 +0100

One of the fundamental features in the design of rigid pavements is the rupture modulus, which value is obtained experimentally using a bending test and indicates the maximum load that a concrete beam can support. To determine this value is expensive and impractical since the tests require rather large stress values, there is always a risk of producing brittle fractures in the probes used. For this reason, it is proposed in this paper an implementation of a numerical estimation for the deformations due to the maximum load through a simple interpolation model that allows the generation of the stress/strain diagram using the only data available: the maximum load. The results show that it is possible to calculate the maximum deformation value in the beam previous to the failure. Also, it is possible to generate the stress/strain diagram and distinguish the elastic and elastoplastic areas of the concrete.

Development of New Lagrangian Computational Methods for Ice-Ship Interaction Problems: NICESHIP Project

María Jesús Samper — Fri, 27 Nov 2020 09:53:07 +0100

This document presents the activities carried out to date (04/2019) in the project ‘Development of new Lagrangian computational methods for ice-ship interaction problems’ (NICE-SHIP). The NICE-SHIP project aims at developing a new generation of computational methods, based on the integration of innovative Lagrangian particle-based and finite element procedures for the analysis of the operation of a vessel in an iced sea, taking into account the different possible conditions of the ice. It is expected that the computational analysis techniques to be developed in NICE-SHIP will allow ice-class vessel designers to accurately evaluate the loads acting on the structure of a ship navigating in iced-seas and, in particular, to determine the ice resistance of the ship in different ice conditions.

3D simulation of Vajont disaster. Part 2: Multi-failure scenarios

María Jesús Samper — Thu, 26 Nov 2020 16:20:05 +0100

Prediction of multi-hazard slope stability events requires an informed and judicious choice of the possible scenarios. An incorrect definition of landslide conditions in terms of expected failure volume, material behavior, or boundary conditions can lead to inaccurate predictions and, in turn, to wrong engineering and risk management decisions. Reduced-scale experiments carried out two years before the Vajont disaster were carried out with a material not representative of the actual rockslide behavior and failed in not considering the simultaneous failure of the whole landslide body. Based on these inappropriate assumptions, the physical models led to wrong estimates of the safety operational level for the Vajont reservoir. This work uses the Particle Finite Element Method (PFEM) to analyze the implications of the wrong hypotheses considered in the pre-event experiments, simulating numerically the Vajont disaster for different sliding volumes and material properties. The use of the PFEM for the accurate assessment of the consequences of landslides impinging in water reservoirs has been already validated in a companion paper. In this work, we demonstrate the capabilities of a robust and reliable numerical modeling approach for the simulation of different scenarios, assessing what could have been a safe operational reservoir level in the case of a landslide generated impulse wave. The three-dimensional analyses were run with a high mesh resolution and demonstrate the suitability and robustness of the PFEM model for large-scale landslide and multi-hazard events simulation.

3D simulation of Vajont disaster. Part 1: Numerical formulation and validation

María Jesús Samper — Thu, 26 Nov 2020 16:11:46 +0100

This work presents a numerical method for the simulation of landslides generated impulse waves and its application to the historical Vajont case study. The computational tool is based on the Particle Finite Element Method (PFEM), a Lagrangian strategy that combines the finite element solution of the governing equations with an efficient remeshing strategy to deal with large deformation problems. After presenting the numerical formulation, different landslide impulse wave problems with Froude number ranging from 0.5 to 2.8, are analyzed to validate the proposed methodology. The computational method is shown to be able to reproduce accurately the landslide runout, the momentum transfer between the sliding material and the impounded water, and the consequent wave propagation observed in experimental physical models. Then, the PFEM model is applied to the numerical simulation of the Vajont disaster, which is analyzed with a fully-resolved three-dimensional model. The numerical results are discussed and compared to the post-event observations and the numerical results of other computational methods. The results in terms of landslide velocity and runout, geometry of the deposit, maximum water runup, dam overtopping wave, and water discharge in the downstream valley are in good agreement with observations and reconstructions. The calibration and validation performed for this study form the basis for the PFEM analyses presented in a companion paper finalized to simulate different scenarios of the Vajont rockslide considered in the experimental tests done a year before the disaster.

A State of the Art Review of the Particle Finite Element Method (PFEM)

María Jesús Samper — Thu, 26 Nov 2020 15:57:05 +0100

The particle finite element method (PFEM) is a powerful and robust numerical tool for the simulation of multi-physics problems in evolving domains. The PFEM exploits the Lagrangian framework to automatically identify and follow interfaces between different materials (e.g. fluid–fluid, fluid–solid or free surfaces). The method solves the governing equations with the standard finite element method and overcomes mesh distortion issues using a fast and efficient remeshing procedure. The flexibility and robustness of the method together with its capability for dealing with large topological variations of the computational domains, explain its success for solving a wide range of industrial and engineering problems. This paper provides an extended overview of the theory and applications of the method, giving the tools required to understand the PFEM from its basic ideas to the more advanced applications. Moreover, this work aims to confirm the flexibility and robustness of the PFEM for a broad range of engineering applications. Furthermore, presenting the advantages and disadvantages of the method, this overview can be the starting point for improvements of PFEM technology and for widening its application fields.

Modelling 3D metal cutting problems with the particle finite element method

María Jesús Samper — Thu, 26 Nov 2020 15:09:37 +0100

This work presents the development of the Particle Finite Element Method (PFEM) for the modelling of 3D solid mechanics problems under cutting conditions. The study and analysis of numerical models reproducing the cut of a material is a matter of interest in several areas; namely, the improvement of the material properties, the optimization of the process and tool geometries and the prediction of unexpected failures. The analysis of bi-dimensional (2D) models is the most common approach for different reasons. Just focusing on the simulation point of view, it is the simplest procedure, the cheapest in terms of computational cost and sometimes the only feasible numerical solution. However, many industrial machining processes, such as cutting, blanking, milling and drilling have not a possible simplification to 2D models. Actually even a simple turning processes for non-orthogonal cuts can not be simplified to 2D. This work present an upgrade of the PFEM techniques in order to deal with the 3D machining problems. We present recent improvements in the finite element formulation, the meshing re-connections and the contact detection. By applying these developments the PFEM has the capability for modelling a wide range of practical machining processes. In this paper the capacity of the formulation and the accuracy of the results are analyzed and validated with some representative examples.

Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering

xingkun zhou — Mon, 16 Nov 2020 01:55:02 +0100

Deployment and retrieval of drilling risers are among the most highly stressed marine operations processes, and allowable imperfections or missed-inspection cracks are likely to expand into limited defects, making crack identification essential during the deployment and retrieval of risers. This study’s main objective is to investigate the performances of natural frequencies and modal shapes on crack identification in a drilling riser during installation and retrieval. First, a computation code is programmed to extract the natural frequencies and modal shapes of the intact and cracked risers, and its validity is verified by two numerical methods, i.e., precise integration method and differential transformation method in the literature. Second, the crack-identification ability of natural frequencies versus crack depth and riser-suspension length is studied in detail. An approach using the normalized fourth derivative of modal shapes is developed for crack identification compared with the traditional modal-curvature and modal-curvature difference approaches. Finally, the cracks near the middle span and both ends of the risers are identified, respectively, during the deployment. From the research on crack identification during installation, several conclusions and suggestions are drawn to provide some valuable references for the safety of drilling and production operations.

An Automatic Tree Search Algorithm for the Tisserand Graph

Roberto Flores — Wed, 04 Nov 2020 12:23:02 +0100

The Tisserand graph (TG) is a graphical tool commonly employed in the preliminary design of gravity-assisted trajectories. The TG is a two-dimensional map showing essential orbital information regarding the Keplerian orbits resulting from the close passage by one or more massive bodies, given the magnitude of the hyperbolic excess speed and the minimum allowed pericenter height for each passage. Contours of constant populate the TG. Intersections between contours allow to link consecutive flybys and build sequences of encounters en route to a selected destination.

When the number of perturbing bodies is large and many excess velocity levels are considered, the identification of all the possible sequences of encounters through visual inspection of the TG becomes a laborious task. Besides, if the sequences are used as input for a numerical code for trajectory design and optimization, an automated examination of the TG is desirable.

This contribution describes an automatic technique to explore the TG and find all the encounter paths. The technique is based on a tree search method, and the intersections between contours are computed using the regula-falsi scheme.

The method is validated through comparisons with solutions available in the open literature. Examples are given of application to interplanetary mission scenarios, including the coupling with a trajectory optimizer.

Developing Students’ Communication in Technical English with Project Based Learning Methodology 1

rocio porras soriano — Tue, 03 Nov 2020 13:25:10 +0100

Technical communication is an extremely important soft skill for civil engineers at the workplace. Due to globalization trends this technical communication often should be performed in English. If we join the fact that undergraduate engineering programs in Spain have been taught exclusively in Spanish, with which in addition, in rare cases those programs provide intentionally placed discipline-specific technical communication experiences, this all amounts to a major problem, regarded as an obstacle that limit undergraduates’ opportunities to work abroad. Aware of this problem, some schools provide their students with a brief course on “Technical English”. However, this course does not cover all the skills that the student would need in the labour market, such as speaking and listening abilities.

This paper promotes an innovative teaching methodology that allows Spanish Civil Engineering students to hone English communication skills through “Lunch&Movies” sessions. In each session a documentary about technical Civil Engineering topics is shown. After the screening, students work in small inter-cohort groups with a guiding lecturer. These groups debate on different questions related to the video, encouraging participation, and fostering their self-confidence to talk about technical English topics in public. Different surveys were developed to demonstrate the students’ interest in learning technical English, and to evaluate the benefit for the attendees and their achievements. The results show that the students are conscious of the importance of technical English for their future careers, and most of them improved their initial level as the sessions progressed and they gained confidence in the foreign language. Also, through a pilot subject in English, it was demonstrated that the participants of the “Lunch&Movies” sessions obtained better oral qualifications than those who did not participate. In fact, the overall results indicated that Lunch & Movie sessions can improve students' technical oral skills as well as their own perceptions of their abilities.

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rocio porras soriano — Mon, 02 Nov 2020 09:41:03 +0100

Análisis sismo-resistente de edificios mixtos de acero y hormigón armado

María Jesús Samper — Wed, 28 Oct 2020 13:23:43 +0100

In this study it was assessed the seismic behavior of framed buildings with composite structure of steel and reinforced concrete (RC) in a specific configuration formed with lower levels with RC (primary structure) and higher levels with steel (secondary structure) as structural materials for components. Levels with steel elements correspond to the higher or two higher levels of the buildings. Static and dynamic nonlinear analyses were conducted to determine the parameters of capacity, fragility and damage of structural systems. These analyses were based on criteria and methodologies such as Spectrum-Capacity, Adaptive Pushover and the Capacity Parametric Model. The difference in performance was remarkable in some models depending on rigidities and the heights of models. Fragility curves and damage indices were determined using two different methodologies in order to assert the behavior in terms of reliability and it was evidenced that in some structural systems there is a great probability of zero damage while in others predominate a high probability of reach moderate, severe or collapse damage states. In Time-History and Incremental Dynamic analysis, were used 5 real and 5 synthetic accelerograms. Numerical results show that most of the models suffer significant lateral deformations, often reaching beyond acceptable limits states from the Venezuelan normative. It was performed a experimental test of a two level frame with Steel elements in the higher level and Reinforced Concrete elements in the lower level. Another experimental test was performed on a full-scale mixed Steel-Reinforced Concrete joint. Both tests were subjected to cyclic lateral loads in order to determine its characteristics, behavior and capacity to histeretics actions in terms of stiffness degradation and damage evolution. Concerning to capacity and damage indexes, it was showed the influence of horizontal relative displacements of each level and the stiffness degradation as key parameters in determining the damage to a building. All this was revalidated with a probabilistic approach to the Damage Index. Experimental results showed very similar values in absolute and relative terms to those obtained in the numerical models. In these numerical and experimental process was used the Capacity Parametric Model (CPM) and the fragility and damage models associated with this methodology. Too achieve structural continuity at the structural joint of steel columns with reinforced concrete elements, it was evidenced that it can be used the AISC and ASCE design criteria for base-plates for steel columns

Pushover con acoplamiento de CEINCI-LAB y OpenSees

María Jesús Samper — Wed, 28 Oct 2020 13:19:30 +0100

The static non-linear analysis allows us to know the probable seismic performance that a structure will have, this by obtaining the resistant seismic capacity curve that relates the basal shear with the lateral displacement at the top of the building and not only that, but that the sections that enter the non-linear range are determined. This information is very useful for the Structural Designer who will be able to visualize if the performance that the building is going to have is in accordance with what he expected from his design, otherwise it is time to make corrections to his design, in this way it will be you are optimizing work.

For this reason, it was decided to write this work, which will undoubtedly be very useful for those students who decided to venture into nonlinear static analysis (Pushover), a rather complex subject if you want to know in depth the theory of calculus and not just program user.

Numerical tools for computational design of acoustic metamaterials

María Jesús Samper — Wed, 28 Oct 2020 13:19:22 +0100

The notion of metamaterials as artificially engineered structures designed to obtain specific material properties, typically unachievable in naturally occurring materials, has captured the attention of the scientific and industrial communities. Among the broad range of applications for such kind of materials, in the field of acoustics, the possibility of creating materials capable of efficiently attenuating noise in target frequency ranges is of utmost importance for a lot of industrial areas. In this context, the so-called locally resonant acoustic metamaterials (LRAMs) can play an important role, as their internal topology can be designed to exhibit huge levels of attenuation in specific frequency regions by taking advantage of internal resonance modes. With a proper, optimized topological design, LRAMs can be used, for instance, to build lightweight and thin noise insulation panels that operate in a low-frequency regime, where standard solutions for effectively attenuating the noise sources require dense and thick materials. Given the importance of the topological structure in obtaining the desired properties in acoustic metamaterials, the use of novel numerical techniques can be exploited to create a set of computational tools aimed at the analysis and design of optimized solutions. These are based on three fundamental pillars: (1) the multiscale homogenization of complex material structures in the microscale to get a set of effective properties capable of describing the material behavior in the macroscale, (2) the model-order reduction techniques, which are used to decrease the computational cost of heavy computations while still maintaining a sufficient degree of accuracy, and (3) the topology optimization methods that can be employed to obtain optimal configurations with a given set of constraints and a target material behavior. This set of computational tools can be applied to design acoustic metamaterials that are both efficient and practical, i.e. they behave according to their design specifications and can be produced easily, for instance, making use of novel additive manufacturing techniques.

Innovative mathematical and numerical models for studying the deformation of shells during industrial forming processes with the Finite Element Method

María Jesús Samper — Wed, 28 Oct 2020 13:10:16 +0100

This document contains the result resulting from the work in the doctoral thesis Innovative mathematical
and numerical models for studying the deformation of shells during industrial forming processes with the
Finite Element Method. The objective of this thesis is to contribute to the development of finite element
methods for the analysis of the stamping processes, an area of problems with a very clear industrial
application. Indeed these kinds of problems involve multiple disciplines and require the understanding
of different mechanical problems, being the most relevant disciplines the continuous mechanics, the
plasticity, contact problems, among others, depending of the problematic of study.

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Chen Neng — Wed, 28 Oct 2020 04:29:06 +0100