Autonomous Shuttle-Fleets for Cities

 

Starting Point

Through current research of universities and companies‘ projects it is shown that autonomous vehicles can already be out and about in larger numbers on our streets in the near future. Here, the utility possibilities of autonomous vehicles are diverse, examples being supporting drivers as private automobiles, transporting larger amounts of people in the form of self-driving taxis or busses, or being used as pool vehicles by car sharing fleets. Depending on the intended purpose and the fleet size, there can be major consequences concerning the general mobility.

This project shall examine the usage of autonomous shuttles as an addition to public transport, while paying particular attention to the extension of the choice of transport for mobile persons.

  Procedure of the traffic modelling‘s 4-step-algorithm Copyright: © ISB RWTH Aachen University Procedure of the traffic modelling‘s 4-step-algorithm   heat map Copyright: © Ford Motor Company

Aims of the project

The main goals of the project „Autonomous Shuttle Fleets for Cities“ are the following:

  • Assessment of the demand for the application of autonomous shuttle-fleets as an extension of the choices of transport for mobile persons
  • Development of a transport model that integrates the extended choices of transport for autonomous shuttle-fleets
  • Statements on the utility potential of autonomous shuttle-fleets
  • Conclusions regarding the autonomous shuttle-fleets‘ potential in the focus of spatial transferability
  • Development of methods to scale the required size of an autonomous shuttle-fleet depending on different optimization criteria
 

Spatial Reference

Based on the transport model of Aachen’s region, developed by the ISB and the engineering group IVV, as a first step the area city of Aachen is at central attention for the project “Autonomous Shuttle Fleets for Cities”

  Spatial coverage of Aachen region’s starting transport model Copyright: © ISB RWTH Aachen University Spatial coverage of Aachen region’s starting transport model  

Project Setup

The project “Autonomous Shuttle Fleets for Cities” is an alliance project between Ford Motor Company and RWTH Aachen University. Through further alliance projects between Ford Motor Company and RWTH Aachen University additional questions and themes concerning autonomous shuttles can be investigated. The networking between these projects enables overaching synergy effects.

Project Duration

04/2017 – 03/2019

Employer:

Ford Motor Company

Project Partner

Chair of Management Science, RWTH Aachen University

Chair of Operation Research, RWTH Aachen University

Additional Alliance-Project-Partners of Ford Motor Company

Informatik 5 Information Systems, RWTH Aachen University

Institute for Kraftfahrzeuge, RWTH Aachen University

Chair of Marketing, RWTH Aachen University

Production Engineering of E-Mobility Components, RWTH Aachen University

Industrial Design Engineering, TU Delft (University Research Project)

Contact Persons

Dr.-Ing. Conny Louen
Dipl.-Ing. Waldemar Brost

Michael Schrömbges, M.Sc.
Pradeep Burla, M.Sc.

 

Publications:

  • Borst, W.; Louen, C.; Schrömbges, M.; Burla, P. (2019): „MATSim Model der Städteregion Aachen“. Project report [pdf]
  • Tauer, B.; Willamowski, F.; Burla, P.; Schrömbges, M. (2019): „Dispatching Heuristics for large-scale agent-based Transport Simulations”. Project report [pdf]
  • Burla, P.; Tauer, B. (2019): „Ridesharing in Aachen – A Feeder Approach”. MATSim User Meeting 2019 [pdf], Leuven.