Laboratories for Research on Freight Systems and Planning

Abstract

Advancements in information and communication technologies (ICT) and the advent of novel mobility solutions have brought about drastic changes in the urban mobility environment. Pervasive ICT devices acquire new sources of data that can inform detailed transportation simulation models, and are useful in analyzing new policies and technologies. In this context, we developed software laboratories that leverage the latest technological developments and enhance freight research. Future mobility sensing (FMS) is a data-collection platform that integrates tracking devices and mobile apps, a backend with machine-learning technologies and user interfaces to deliver highly accurate and detailed mobility data. The second platform, SimMobility, is an open-source, agent-based urban simulation platform which replicates urban passenger and goods movements in a fully disaggregated manner. The two platforms have been used jointly to advance the state of the art in behavioral modeling for passenger and goods movements. In this chapter, we review recent developments in freight-transportation data-collection techniques, including contributions to transportation modeling, and state-of-the-art transportation models. We then introduce FMS and SimMobility and demonstrate a coordinated application using three examples. Lastly, we highlight potential innovations and future challenges in these research domains.

A Simulation-Based Evaluation of a Cargo-Hitching Service for E-Commerce Using Mobility-on-Demand Vehicles

“…The evaluation of the network-wide impacts of cargo hitching requires a high-fidelity simulation framework that models freight and passenger demand, supply, and their interactions. We use an agent-and activity-based simulation platform called SimMobility, which integrates disaggregated behavioral models at multiple time scales in a consistent and coherent manner, and simulates both urban freight and passenger travel and activity patterns [26,27]. The overall framework of the SimMobility platform is shown in Figure 1a, which consists of freight and passenger simulators organized into three models: long-term, mid-term, and short-term models.…”

“…patterns [26,27]. The overall framework of the SimMobility platform is shown in Figure 1a, which consists of freight and passenger simulators organized into three models: longterm, mid-term, and short-term models.…”