A Machine Learning based approach to predict road rutting considering uncertainty

Roads as vital public assets are the backbone for transportation systems and support constant societal development. Recently, data-driven technologies such as digital twins and especially machine learning have shown great potential to maintain the service level of the existing road infrastructure by accurate future condition modelling and optimal maintenance treatment recommendations. However, the pavement community suffers from inadequate data and errors experienced in data collection, which unavoidably limits machine learning performance. In addition, focusing solely on data without considering the underlying physical behaviour remains as a challenge for the practical implementation of machine learning. To this end, this study provides a machine learning based approach to predict road rutting taking into account the machine learning uncertainties. The US Long-Term Pavement Performance public database has been used as the main data source while supplementary synthetic data was added using Finite Element simulations based on physics. The obtained results indicate that adding extra simulation data improved the model’s short-term prediction accuracy by 4.4% and reduced the long-term prediction uncertainty by 6.76%. The approach could potentially mitigate the issue of lack of data and the uncertainties around the data collected, by integrating existing understanding of pavement physical behaviour into the machine learning modelling pipeline

A vulnerability-based approach to human-mobility reduction for countering COVID-19 transmission in London while considering local air quality

An ecologic analysis was conducted to explore the correlation between air pollution, and COVID-19 cases and fatality rates in London. The analysis demonstrated a strong correlation (R2>0.7) between increment in air pollution and an increase in the risk of COVID-19 transmission within London boroughs. Particularly, strong correlations (R2>0.72) between the risk of COVID-19 fatality and NO2 and PM2.5 pollution concentrations were also found. Although this study assumed the same level of air pollution across a particular London borough, it demonstrates the possibility to employ air pollution as an indicator to rapidly identify the vulnerable regions within a city. Such an approach can inform the decisions to suspend or reduce the operation of different public transport modes within a city. The methodology and learnings from the study can thus aid public transport to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak by adopting different levels of human-mobility reduction strategies based on the vulnerability of a given region

A Machine Learning based approach to predict road rutting considering uncertainty

Roads as vital public assets are the backbone for transportation systems and support constant societal development. Recently, data-driven technologies such as digital twins and especially machine learning have shown great potential to maintain the service level of the existing road infrastructure by accurate future condition modelling and optimal maintenance treatment recommendations. However, the pavement community suffers from inadequate data and errors experienced in data collection, which unavoidably limits machine learning performance. In addition, focusing solely on data without considering the underlying physical behaviour remains as a challenge for the practical implementation of machine learning.To this end, this study provides a machine learning based approach to predict road rutting taking into account the machine learning uncertainties. The US Long-Term Pavement Performance public database has been used as the main data source while supplementary synthetic data was added using Finite Element simulations based on physics. The obtained results indicate that adding extra simulation data improved the model’s short-term prediction accuracy by 4.4% and reduced the long-term prediction uncertainty by 6.76%. The approach could potentially mitigate the issue of lack of data and the uncertainties around the data collected, by integrating existing understanding of pavement physical behaviour into the machine learning modelling pipeline

Meeting sustainable development goals via robotics and autonomous systems

Robotics and autonomous systems are reshaping the world, changing healthcare, food production and biodiversity management. While they will play a fundamental role in delivering the UN Sustainable Development Goals, associated opportunities and threats are yet to be considered systematically. We report on a horizon scan evaluating robotics and autonomous systems impact on all Sustainable Development Goals, involving 102 experts from around the world. Robotics and autonomous systems are likely to transform how the Sustainable Development Goals are achieved, through replacing and supporting human activities, fostering innovation, enhancing remote access and improving monitoring. Emerging threats relate to reinforcing inequalities, exacerbating environmental change, diverting resources from tried-and-tested solutions and reducing freedom and privacy through inadequate governance. Although predicting future impacts of robotics and autonomous systems on the Sustainable Development Goals is difficult, thoroughly examining technological developments early is essential to prevent unintended detrimental consequences. Additionally, robotics and autonomous systems should be considered explicitly when developing future iterations of the Sustainable Development Goals to avoid reversing progress or exacerbating inequalities