Automated Last Mile Connectivity for Vulnerable Road Users

The primary objective of this project is to evaluate the real-world usability and potential benefits of an Automated Last Mile Shuttle (ALMS) system. This research would be targeted specifically towards usability by vulnerable road users (VRU) such as seniors and the disabled. New and innovative methods of expanding public transportation access to VRUs are needed to ensure equitable and appropriate mobility while allowing transit operators to improve the sustainability of their operations. Based on how heavily VRUs are leveraging fixed-route transit options, one approach is to develop first and last mile (i.e., “Last Mile”) solutions that improve bidirectional access between users’ homes and destinations and existing fixed-route nodes. ALMS mobility systems have been proposed to provide VRUs with efficient, convenient, and timely on-demand access to existing fixed-route transit systems. The primary components of these systems are driverless shuttles and the scheduling and routing environment that controls their automated operation. Highly accessible, low-speed, and environmentally-friendly electric vehicles that are homed and charged at transit stops are envisioned for this application. The central control system would operate in a highly connected environment and rely upon data from those requesting a ride, fixed-route buses, shuttles, and traffic control centers for the determination of routing and scheduling. This work will be conducted in multiple phases over 3 years and will employ a variety of methods to meet research goals. Data collection is planned in Blacksburg, VA, and Greensboro, NC, to include the spectrum of varying transit and mobility characteristics from small college towns to larger metro areas, respectively. The first year’s work will culminate in pilot testing of the ALMS at an off-road test site in Blacksburg that is served by the local bus transit system. Other first-year milestones will include literature review and development of test methods, survey, and focus group activities. Subsequent phases of work will expand to other areas, include more participants and operate under additional scenarios. VRU participants will be recruited for the evaluation of ALMS usability. Data collection methods for the on-road study will include naturalistic, and potentially experimental, methods. Additionally, pre- and post-testing surveys will be used to aid in system development and for usability evaluation. These may include self-reported rankings, researcher interviews, and focus groups. An associated ride request and scheduling system would be developed for use by participants. Development of this system would benefit from parallel UTC work being conducted to evaluate human-machine interfaces (HMI) for VRUs. The potential benefits of the implementation of an automated shuttle system will also be analyzed. The literature and other sources will be used to determine the baseline operating parameters with respect to the operational costs and environmental impacts of those systems currently in use and the automated shuttle systems that are proposed for future deployment. Rider level-of-service as defined by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) or another more relevant metric will be used as a basis for comparison

Restructurable Controls

Restructurable control system theory, robust reconfiguration for high reliability and survivability for advanced aircraft, restructurable controls problem definition and research, experimentation, system identification methods applied to aircraft, a self-repairing digital flight control system, and state-of-the-art theory application are addressed

Vertical transportation in buildings

Nowadays, the building industry and its associated technologies are experiencing a period of rapid growth, which requires an equivalent growth regarding technologies in the field of vertical transportation. Therefore, the installation of synchronised elevator groups in modern buildings is a common practice in order to govern the dispatching, allocation and movement of the cars shaping the group. So, elevator control and management has become a major field of application for Artificial Intelligence approaches. Methodologies such as fuzzy logic, artificial neural networks, genetic algorithms, ant colonies, or multiagent systems are being successfully proposed in the scientific literature, and are being adopted by the leading elevator companies as elements that differentiate them from their competitors. In this sense, the most relevant companies are adopting strategies based on the protection of their discoveries and inventions as registered patents in different countries throughout the world. This paper presents a comprehensive state of the art of the most relevant recent patents on computer science applied to vertical transportationConsejería de Innovación, Ciencia y Empresa, Junta de Andalucía P07-TEP-02832, Spain

Dynamic fuzzy logic elevator group control system for energy optimization

High-rise buildings with a considerable number of elevators represent a major logistic problem concerning saving space and time due to economic reasons. For this reason, complex Elevator Group Control Systems are developed in order to manage the elevators properly. Furthermore, the subject of energy is acquiring more and more industrial relevance every day as far as sustainable development is concerned. In this paper, the first entirely dynamic Fuzzy Logic Elevator Group Control System to dispatch landing calls so as to minimize energy consumption, especially during interfloor traffic, is proposed. The fuzzy logic design described here constitutes not only an innovative solution that outperforms usual dispatchers but also an easy, cheap, feasible and reliable solution, which is possible to be implemented in real industry controllers

Advanced flight control system study

A fly by wire flight control system architecture designed for high reliability includes spare sensor and computer elements to permit safe dispatch with failed elements, thereby reducing unscheduled maintenance. A methodology capable of demonstrating that the architecture does achieve the predicted performance characteristics consists of a hierarchy of activities ranging from analytical calculations of system reliability and formal methods of software verification to iron bird testing followed by flight evaluation. Interfacing this architecture to the Lockheed S-3A aircraft for flight test is discussed. This testbed vehicle can be expanded to support flight experiments in advanced aerodynamics, electromechanical actuators, secondary power systems, flight management, new displays, and air traffic control concepts

Automated Transit Networks (ATN): A Review of the State of the Industry and Prospects for the Future, MTI Report 12-31

The concept of Automated Transit Networks (ATN) - in which fully automated vehicles on exclusive, grade-separated guideways provide on-demand, primarily non-stop, origin-to-destination service over an area network – has been around since the 1950s. However, only a few systems are in current operation around the world. ATN does not appear “on the radar” of urban planners, transit professionals, or policy makers when it comes to designing solutions for current transit problems in urban areas. This study explains ATN technology, setting it in the larger context of Automated Guideway Transit (AGT); looks at the current status of ATN suppliers, the status of the ATN industry, and the prospects of a U.S.-based ATN industry; summarizes and organizes proceedings from the seven Podcar City conferences that have been held since 2006; documents the U.S./Sweden Memorandum of Understanding on Sustainable Transport; discusses how ATN could expand the coverage of existing transit systems; explains the opportunities and challenges in planning and funding ATN systems and approaches for procuring ATN systems; and concludes with a summary of the existing challenges and opportunities for ATN technology. The study is intended to be an informative tool for planners, urban designers, and those involved in public policy, especially for urban transit, to provide a reference for history and background on ATN, and to use for policy development and research

Design and evaluation of a failure detection and isolation algorithm for restructurable control systems

The use of a decentralized approach to failure detection and isolation for use in restructurable control systems is examined. This work has produced: (1) A method for evaluating fundamental limits to FDI performance; (2) Application using flight recorded data; (3) A working control element FDI system with maximal sensitivity to critical control element failures; (4) Extensive testing on realistic simulations; and (5) A detailed design methodology involving parameter optimization (with respect to model uncertainties) and sensitivity analyses. This project has concentrated on detection and isolation of generic control element failures since these failures frequently lead to emergency conditions and since knowledge of remaining control authority is essential for control system redesign. The failures are generic in the sense that no temporal failure signature information was assumed. Thus, various forms of functional failures are treated in a unified fashion. Such a treatment results in a robust FDI system (i.e., one that covers all failure modes) but sacrifices some performance when detailed failure signature information is known, useful, and employed properly. It was assumed throughout that all sensors are validated (i.e., contain only in-spec errors) and that only the first failure of a single control element needs to be detected and isolated. The FDI system which has been developed will handle a class of multiple failures