EAGER/Collaborative Research: An Autonomous Modular Vehicle Technology-based Multifaceted Mobility Service Paradigm – A Proof-of-Concept Study

EAGER/协作研究：基于自主模块化车辆技术的多方面移动服务范式 — 概念验证研究

• 批准号: 2127678
• 负责人: Yu Nie
• 金额: $ 10万
• 依托单位: Northwestern University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-08-15 至 2023-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2127678&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: EAGER; Collaborative; Research; Autonomous; Modular

This EArly-concept Grant for Exploratory Research (EAGER) project will support a proof-of-concept study to (1) understand the fundamental trade-offs in Autonomous Modular Vehicle Technology (AMVT) based bi-modality system, or AMVT-BM, that provides integrated public transit and last-mile logistics services with a fleet of modular autonomous vehicles, or pods, and (2) gauge potential stakeholders’ interest and reaction to the technology. In the U.S., public transit vehicles have a very low average load factor (10.1% ~ 12.4%), resulting in excessive waste of seat capacity and poor fuel economy per passenger mile served. This problem is gravely exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which at its peak had caused nearly 80% reduction in transit ridership nationwide. On the other hand, the rapid uptake of e-commerce, also accelerated by the pandemic, has put tremendous pressure on last-mile delivery. Coupled with modularity, a co-modality system that integrates transit services with last mile logistics offers a promising solution to better utilization/sharing of vehicle capacity and supporting infrastructure. Yet, the implementation of this idea requires not only technological breakthrough, but also a system approach that transcends the boundaries of the two highly siloed sectors in the transportation industry. In this study, we will focus on two most fundamental questions: (1) what are the impacts of co-modality and modularity on system performance? And (2) what are synergistic potential and adoption challenges from the perspective of stakeholders such as transit agencies, urban planners, logistics companies, transportation network companies, and auto makers? The research agenda consists of two tasks designed to seek answers to these questions. Task 1 investigates the impacts of modularity and co-modality via analysis and simulation. Task 2 recruits and surveys potential stakeholders for their views on a wide range of issues related to the adoption of AMVT-BM. The project will create a suite of optimization tools for analyzing modularized transit and last-mile delivery service systems. It will also develop the first of its kind simulation testbed to guide the design and evaluation of an AMVT-BM system that integrates transit and last-mile delivery operations. Through a three-phase stakeholder survey, the project will document and analyze technological, institutional, and financial potentials as well as barriers to the real-world implementation of AMVT-BM systems, which will shed light on the design and operation of these systems. The project findings will help identify critical future research agenda.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

这个早期概念探索性研究资助 (EAGER) 项目将支持概念验证研究，以 (1) 了解基于自主模块化车辆技术 (AMVT) 的双模态系统 (AMVT-BM) 的基本权衡，通过模块化自动驾驶车辆车队提供综合公共交通和最后一英里物流服务，(2) 衡量潜在利益相关者对该技术的兴趣和反应。在美国，公共交通车辆非常受欢迎。平均载客率较低（10.1％~12.4％），导致座位容量过度浪费，每乘客英里的燃油经济性较差，这一问题因COVID-19大流行而严重加剧，在高峰期曾导致近80％的减少。另一方面，电子商务的迅速普及，加上疫情的加速，给最后一英里的配送带来了巨大的压力，加上将交通服务与最后一公里相结合的联合模式系统。英里物流为更好地利用/共享车辆容量和配套基础设施提供了一个有前途的解决方案，然而，这一想法的实施不仅需要技术突破，还需要一种超越运输行业两个高度孤立部门界限的系统方法。在本研究中，我们将重点关注两个最基本的问题：（1）共模性和模块化对系统性能的影响是什么？（2）从交通机构等利益相关者的角度来看，协同潜力和采用挑战是什么？ 、城市规划者、物流公司、研究议程包括两项任务，旨在寻求这些问题的答案。任务 1 通过分析和模拟来调查模块化和共模性的影响，并收集潜在利益相关者的意见。该项目将创建一套用于分析模块化交通和最后一英里交付服务系统的优化工具，该项目还将开发第一个此类模拟测试平台来指导设计。 AMVT-BM 系统的评估和评估通过三阶段的利益相关者调查，该项目将记录和分析技术、制度和财务潜力以及 AMVT-BM 系统在现实世界中实施的障碍，从而消除这些障碍。该项目的研究结果将有助于确定未来的关键研究议程。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

项目成果

An Autonomous Modular Mobility Paradigm

• DOI: 10.1109/mits.2022.3159484
• 发表时间: 2023-01
• 期刊: IEEE Intelligent Transportation Systems Magazine
• 影响因子: 3.6
• 作者: Jane Lin;Y. Nie;K. Kawamura