Simulation-based optimization for rebalancing the fleet of vehicles in free-floating shared mobility systems

In recent years, shared mobility systems have had a growing presence in cities all over the world. This is understandable given its numerous advantages such as the reduced need for personal vehicle ownership, reduced traffic congestion and emissions, increased parking efficiency, and cost savings for users. Overall, shared mobility systems offer...

Conceptual design of an automation-facilitating tomato greenhouse concept

Automation in tomato greenhouses is lacking compared with some other crops. The efficiency and consistency of greenhouse operations can be boosted by implementing automation. Therefore, a new concept that facilitates the robotisation of crop-handling tasks is investigated. This concept combines the existing technology of a movable-gutter system...

A multiclass simulation-based dynamic traffic assignment model for mixed traffic flow of connected and autonomous vehicles and human-driven vehicles

Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs) may exhibit different driving and route choice behaviours compared to Human-Driven Vehicles (HDVs), which can result in a mixed traffic flow with multiple classes of route choice behaviour. Therefore, it is necessary to solve the Multiclass Traffic Assignment Problem (TAP) for mixed traffic flow....

Do the elderly use thigh push off in sit-to-stand to compensate for a lack of stability?: Application of the Stability Basin method to assess the stability of compensatory sit-to-stand strategies in young and elderly participants

Due to neuromuscular capacity decline, sit-to-stand, an essential daily life activity, is increasingly difficult to perform for elderly. In practice, elderly frequently use compensatory arm-strategies in sit-to-stand. However, the specific advantages of these compensatory strategies are unclear. The focus of this research is to study the...

Efficient Simulation-Based Toll Optimization for Large-Scale Networks

This paper proposes a simulation-based optimization technique for high-dimensional toll optimization problems of large-scale road networks. We formulate a novel analytical network model. The latter is embedded within a metamodel simulation-based optimization (SO) algorithm. It provides analytical and differentiable structural information of...

Network design for line-based autonomous bus services

The maturing of autonomous driving technology in recent years has led to several pilot projects and the initial integration of autonomous pods and buses into the public transport (PT) system. An emerging field of interest is the design of public transport networks operating autonomous buses and the potential to attract higher levels of travel...

Towards passenger-oriented simulation-based rescheduling in metro lines

Unreliability is a major source of discontent for passengers using public transport. Real-time rescheduling is one of the tools available to deal with it. Although passenger movements have an impact on the development of a disturbance in public transport operations, this effect is rarely accounted for in rescheduling models for metro networks....

Simulation-based education involving online and on-campus models in different European universities

Simulation-based education (SE) refers to the use of simulation software, tools, and serious games to enrich the teaching and learning processes. Advances in both computer hardware and software allow for employing innovative methodologies that make use of SE tools to enhance the learning experience. Moreover, thanks to the globalisation of e...

Dynamic and interactive re-formulation of multi-objective optimization problems for conceptual architectural design exploration

Simulation-Based Multi-Objective Optimization (SBMOO) methods are being increasingly used in conceptual architectural design. They mostly focus on the solving, rather than the re-formulation, of a Multi-Objective Optimization (MOO) problem. However, Optimization Problem Re-Formulation (Re-OPF) is necessary for treating ill-defined conceptual...

Simulation-based optimization approach for material dispatching in continuous mining systems

This paper examines a problem related to dispatching materials to spreaders in coal (lignite) mines operated under the paradigm of continuously excavated material flow. In the considered particular case, complexity arises from different material types of overburden to be placed on the dump site in pre-defined patterns that guarantee...

Simulation-based travel time reliable signal control

This paper addresses a travel time reliable signal control problem. Travel time distributional estimates are obtained from a stochastic microscopic traffic simulator. The estimates are embedded within a simulation-based optimization algorithm. Analytical approximations of the simulated metrics are combined with the simulated data in order to...

An Agent-based Model to Evaluate Influences on Structural Reliability by Human and Organizational Factors

Human and Organizational Factors (HOFs) are considered to have significant impacts on structural reliability. Yet how structural reliability is affected by these factors and how large this impact is remains inadequately studied. A model that is designed to reveal such relationships is proposed in this paper. First, a review of problem related...

Integrating technical performances within design exploration: The case of an innovative Trombe wall

The Double Face 2.0 research project aims at developing a novel type of an adaptive translucent Trombe wall. The novelty of the proposed system is based on the integration of new lightweight and translucent materials, used both for<br/>latent heat storage and insulation, advanced computational design processes, used to identify the relationship...

Multi-Perspective Urban Optioneering

This paper investigates the state-of-the-art with respect to simulation-based planning support systems in order to draw a set of requirements and best practices for an urban planning and design framework that enables multiple stakeholders with differing perspectives to systematically explore design options, leveraging the latest analysis and...

A simulation-based optimization approach for the calibration of dynamic train speed profiles

Predictions of railway traffic are needed by planners and dispatchers for the design of robust timetables and real-time traffic management of perturbed conditions. These tasks can be effectively performed only when using train running time models which reliably describe actual speed profiles. To this purpose calibration of model parameters...

Multi-actor simulation-based design supported by multi-perspective visualization: A case study on the design for a new shunting process at the marshalling yard Utrecht

Within complex design projects the methodology of Simulation-Based Design is used. Critical remarks on the lack of multiple perspectives within the simulation are mentioned in literature, which creates inefficiency and dissatisfying results of the design. The addition of multiple perspective visualization during the design process can give all...

A simulation based design framework for large scale infrastructure systems design

This paper discusses an enhanced use of Modeling and Simulation (M&S) in the design cycle of large scale infrastructure systems. After a short review of the use of M&S in the current systems design process, we identify some issues in multi-actor design environment. A Simulation Based Design (SBD) framework is proposed to tackle these issues...

On the way to pole position: The effect of tire grip on learning to drive a racecar

Racecar drivers could benefit from new training methods for learning to drive fast lap times. Inspired by the learning-from-errors principle, this simulator-based study investigated the effect of the tire-road friction coefficient on the training effectiveness of a car racing task. Three groups of 15 inexperienced racecar drivers (low grip (LG),...