AI Labs launches lab for AI & Mobility
After the success of the National Police Lab AI (Artificial Intelligence), Utrecht computer science researchers are launching a second AI Lab in January 2021. The new lab will focus on the themes of Mobility, Transport and Logistics. The researchers will work with partner organisations, among which NS and ProRail, to link, strengthen and further expand research into mobility issues.
Transport organisations, distributors and public organisations encounter major challenges, to which AI research can contribute. Public transportation, shared mobility, road traffic, logistics and human movement behaviour raise issues about safety, robustness, accessibility, travel time, health and such. In the AI & Mobility Lab, Utrecht computer science researchers will collaborate with various organisations to develop innovative AI techniques for challenges in mobility and public transportation.
I am very pleased with the launch of the AI & Mobility Lab, which is an excellent way to further develop cooperation with various parties in the field of mobility. We will incorporate our research projects on this theme into this lab and expand them further. With this lab, we want to strengthen our expertise in AI and mobility, and further gear research and education to this theme.
Important role for AI research
Mobility is in full swing. Cities are especially getting busier, and because of increasing concern for sustainability, alternatives for privately-owned petrol or diesel cars are becoming more and more important. Commuters will increasingly use combinations of different forms of mobility and public transportation. Public transportation is becoming more electrified and is expected to play a crucial role in future transport.
Artificial intelligence will make a strong contribution to these developments. There are important challenges in managing and controlling vehicle and passenger flows, infrastructure planning, and the development of new tools and platforms for matching supply and demand such as MaaS (Mobility as a Service). Researchers in the AI & Mobility Lab will work on data-driven techniques, operations research, algorithms, human-centered AI and agent-based simulation.
Marjan van den Akker, coordinator of the AI & Mobility Lab: “The challenges of our stakeholders are complex and require a state-of-the-art approach. Where needed, we collaborate with researchers from different disciplines. By developing knowledge and techniques together, we strive to make a strong societal impact.”
Education
In addition to research, the AI Labs also play an important role in education for professionals, and programmes where students work together with professionals.
Marjan van den Akker is Associate Professor in the Algorithms and Complexity group, and has ample experience in mobility research. She has worked at the National Aerospace Centre (NLR) for over five years, where she was involved in modelling, optimisation and simulation for Air Traffic Management and for Road pricing. At Utrecht University she performs research on applications of Operations Research. She works in various projects on optimisation in public transportation. As coordinator of the software project, she has set up projects where teams of students develop software for customers from outside and within the university.