IEEE Access Special Section Editorial: Big Data Technology and Applications in Intelligent Transportation

During the last few years, information technology and transportation industries, along with automotive manufacturers and academia, are focusing on leveraging intelligent transportation systems (ITS) to improve services related to driver experience, connected cars, Internet data plans for vehicles, traffic infrastructure, urban transportation systems, traffic collaborative management, road traffic accidents analysis, road traffic flow prediction, public transportation service plan, personal travel route plans, and the development of an effective ecosystem for vehicles, drivers, traffic controllers, city planners, and transportation applications. Moreover, the emerging technologies of the Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud computing have provided unprecedented opportunities for the development and realization of innovative intelligent transportation systems where sensors and mobile devices can gather information and cloud computing, allowing knowledge discovery, information sharing, and supported decision making. However, the development of such data-driven ITS requires the integration, processing, and analysis of plentiful information obtained from millions of vehicles, traffic infrastructures, smartphones, and other collaborative systems like weather stations and road safety and early warning systems. The huge amount of data generated by ITS devices is only of value if utilized in data analytics for decision-making such as accident prevention and detection, controlling road risks, reducing traffic carbon emissions, and other applications which bring big data analytics into the picture

Software package applications for designing rail freight interchanges

Ph.D. ThesisRail freight transport has a crucial role to play in the economy, delivering significant reductions in logistics costs, pollution, and congestion. Typically, the conventional architecture and layout of the rail freight interchange constrain the capacity and performance of the whole railway system. A well-designed rail freight interchange can enhance the system performance by maximizing vehicle usage and minimizing last mile distribution cost. Therefore, the study of rail freight interchange operation is considered crucial to understand how to increase and improve the attractiveness for rail freight transport. This thesis uses game engines to develop software packages that are used for the design of new rail freight interchanges, considering multistakeholder decisions drivers. A novel and modular approach has been applied with the purpose of developing and deploying simulation tools that can be used by multiple stakeholders to: -Understand the impact of multiple-criteria decision analysis on rail freight interchange layouts; -Use a genetic algorithm to identify the most suitable components of the future interchange to be designed, considering the multi-stakeholders’ priorities; - Quickly enable the design of a wide variety of rail freight interchanges from the information selected by a decision maker in a computer-based userfriendly interface. This research has proposed a framework for software development. Three case studies are used to illustrate adaptability of a number of applications for different scenarios. The findings of the research contribute to a better understanding of the impacts of the multiple stakeholder’s decisions on rail freight interchange designs. Key words: Rail Freight Interchanges, Multi stakeholders decision, genetic algorith

National freight transport planning: towards a Strategic Planning Extranet Decision Support System (SPEDSS)

This thesis provides a `proof-of-concept' prototype and a design architecture for a Object Oriented (00) database towards the development of a Decision Support System (DSS) for the national freight transport planning problem. Both governments and industry require a Strategic Planning Extranet Decision Support System (SPEDSS) for their effective management of the national Freight Transport Networks (FTN). This thesis addresses the three key problems for the development of a SPEDSS to facilitate national strategic freight planning: 1) scope and scale of data available and required; 2) scope and scale of existing models; and 3) construction of the software. The research approach taken embodies systems thinking and includes the use of: Object Oriented Analysis and Design (OOA/D) for problem encapsulation and database design; artificial neural network (and proposed rule extraction) for knowledge acquisition of the United States FTN data set; and an iterative Object Oriented (00) software design for the development of a `proof-of-concept' prototype. The research findings demonstrate that an 00 approach along with the use of 00 methodologies and technologies coupled with artificial neural networks (ANNs) offers a robust and flexible methodology for the analysis of the FTN problem domain and the design architecture of an Extranet based SPEDSS. The objectives of this research were to: 1) identify and analyse current problems and proposed solutions facing industry and governments in strategic transportation planning; 2) determine the functional requirements of an FTN SPEDSS; 3) perform a feasibility analysis for building a FTN SPEDSS `proof-of-concept' prototype and (00) database design; 4) develop a methodology for a national `internet-enabled' SPEDSS model and database; 5) construct a `proof-of-concept' prototype for a SPEDSS encapsulating identified user requirements; 6) develop a methodology to resolve the issue of the scale of data and data knowledge acquisition which would act as the `intelligence' within a SPDSS; 7) implement the data methodology using Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) towards the validation of it; and 8) make recommendations for national freight transportation strategic planning and further research required to fulfil the needs of governments and industry. This thesis includes: an 00 database design for encapsulation of the FTN; an `internet-enabled' Dynamic Modelling Methodology (DMM) for the virtual modelling of the FTNs; a Unified Modelling Language (UML) `proof-of-concept' prototype; and conclusions and recommendations for further collaborative research are identified

Smart Manufacturing

This book is a collection of 11 articles that are published in the corresponding Machines Special Issue “Smart Manufacturing”. It represents the quality, breadth and depth of the most updated study in smart manufacturing (SM); in particular, digital technologies are deployed to enhance system smartness by (1) empowering physical resources in production, (2) utilizing virtual and dynamic assets over the Internet to expand system capabilities, (3) supporting data-driven decision-making activities at various domains and levels of businesses, or (4) reconfiguring systems to adapt to changes and uncertainties. System smartness can be evaluated by one or a combination of performance metrics such as degree of automation, cost-effectiveness, leanness, robustness, flexibility, adaptability, sustainability, and resilience. This book features, firstly, the concepts digital triad (DT-II) and Internet of digital triad things (IoDTT), proposed to deal with the complexity, dynamics, and scalability of complex systems simultaneously. This book also features a comprehensive survey of the applications of digital technologies in space instruments; a systematic literature search method is used to investigate the impact of product design and innovation on the development of space instruments. In addition, the survey provides important information and critical considerations for using cutting edge digital technologies in designing and manufacturing space instruments

The technical assessment of the level of innovative traction transmission of railway vehicle

The article deals with the development of an innovative model of traction transmissions of railway vehicles with a higher technical level, which allows to eliminate the existing shortcomings of the mechanical system, simplify the repair processes and reduce the cost, and evaluate its technical level. By reducing the overall dimensions and weight of the mechanical system, increasing reliability due to equal distribution of the load and shortening the power arm, as well as reducing the number of structural elements, increasing the useful work coefficient due to the reduction of the mass of double sliding pads and rotating parts, saving electricity and thereby improving the technical level of rail transport. Traction transmissions consisting of an innovative reducer are offered that ensure the increase. The technical level of the proposed dart transmission is determined based on three compatibility parameters with a creative approach. Compatibility parameters are determined according to the minimum value of the geometric dimensions characterizing the mass of the mechanical system, the maximum value of the useful work coefficient characterizing economic efficiency, as well as the maximum values of the degree of reliability characterizing safety. The technical level of the proposed project transmitter is determined and compared with existing buildings, its technical and economic advantages are highlighted. As a result of the application of the proposed innovative reducers in the traction drives of railway vehicles, the basis is created for reducing the cost and maintenance costs of traction vehicles, increasing the level of traffic safety, as well as improving the traction and braking characteristic