Nicolas Lanzetti

Bio: Nicolas Lanzetti is an academic researcher from ETH Zurich. The author has contributed to research in topics: Computer science & Engineering. The author has an hindex of 6, co-authored 15 publications receiving 117 citations.

Intermodal Autonomous Mobility-on-Demand

Abstract: In this paper we study models and coordination policies for intermodal Autonomous Mobility-on-Demand (AMoD), wherein a fleet of self-driving vehicles provides on-demand mobility jointly with public transit. Specifically, we first present a network flow model for intermodal AMoD, where we capture the coupling between AMoD and public transit and the goal is to maximize social welfare. Second, leveraging such a model, we design a pricing and tolling scheme that allows the system to recover a social optimum under the assumption of a perfect market with selfish agents. Third, we present real-world case studies for the transportation networks of New York City and Berlin, which allow us to quantify the general benefits of intermodal AMoD, as well as the societal impact of different vehicles. In particular, we show that vehicle size and powertrain type heavily affect intermodal routing decisions and, thus, system efficiency. Our studies reveal that the cooperation between AMoD fleets and public transit can yield significant benefits compared to an AMoD system operating in isolation, whilst our proposed tolling policies appear to be in line with recent discussions for the case of New York City.

Recurrent Neural Network based MPC for Process Industries

Abstract: Autonomous operation of industrial plants requires a cheap and efficient way of creating dynamic process models, which can then be used to either be part of the autonomous systems or to serve as simulators for reinforcement learning. The trends of digitalization, cheap storage, and industry 4.0 enable the access to more and more historical data that can be used in data driven methods to perform system identification. Model predictive control (MPC) is a promising advanced control framework, which might be part of autonomous plants or contribute to some extent to autonomy. In this article, we combine data-driven modeling with MPC and investigate how to train, validate, and incorporate a special recurrent neural network (RNN) architecture into an MPC framework. The proposed structure is designed for being scalable and applicable to a wide range of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems encountered in industrial applications. The training, validation, and closed-loop control using RNNs are demonstrated in an industrial simulation case study. The results show that the proposed framework performs well dealing with challenging practical conditions such as MIMO control, nonlinearities, noise, and time delays.

On the Co-Design of AV-Enabled Mobility Systems

Abstract: The design of autonomous vehicles (AVs) and the design of AV-enabled mobility systems are closely coupled. Indeed, knowledge about the intended service of AVs would impact their design and deployment process, whilst insights about their technological development could significantly affect transportation management decisions. This calls for tools to study such a coupling and co-design AVs and AV-enabled mobility systems in terms of different objectives. In this paper, we instantiate a framework to address such co-design problems. In particular, we leverage the recently developed theory of co-design to frame and solve the problem of designing and deploying an intermodal Autonomous Mobility-on-Demand system, whereby AVs service travel demands jointly with public transit, in terms of fleet sizing, vehicle autonomy, and public transit service frequency. Our framework is modular and compositional, allowing one to describe the design problem as the interconnection of its individual components and to tackle it from a system-level perspective. To showcase our methodology, we present a real-world case study for Washington D.C., USA. Our work suggests that it is possible to create user-friendly optimization tools to systematically assess costs and benefits of interventions, and that such analytical techniques might gain a momentous role in policy-making in the future.

Co-Design to Enable User-Friendly Tools to Assess the Impact of Future Mobility Solutions.

Abstract: The design of future mobility solutions (autonomous vehicles, micromobility solutions, etc.) and the design of the mobility systems they enable are closely coupled. Indeed, knowledge about the intended service of novel mobility solutions would impact their design and deployment process, whilst insights about their technological development could significantly affect transportation management policies. This requires tools to study such a coupling and co-design future mobility systems in terms of different objectives. This paper presents a framework to address such co-design problems. In particular, we leverage the recently developed mathematical theory of co-design to frame and solve the problem of designing and deploying an intermodal mobility system, whereby autonomous vehicles service travel demands jointly with micromobility solutions such as shared bikes and e-scooters, and public transit, in terms of fleets sizing, vehicle characteristics, and public transit service frequency. Our framework is modular and compositional, allowing one to describe the design problem as the interconnection of its individual components and to tackle it from a system-level perspective. Moreover, it only requires very general monotonicity assumptions and it naturally handles multiple objectives, delivering the rational solutions on the Pareto front and thus enabling policy makers to select a policy. To showcase our methodology, we present a real-world case study for Washington D.C., USA. Our work suggests that it is possible to create user-friendly optimization tools to systematically assess the costs and benefits of interventions, and that such analytical techniques might inform policy-making in the future.

Analysis and Control of Autonomous Mobility-on-Demand Systems

Abstract: Challenged by urbanization and increasing travel needs, existing transportation systems need new mobility paradigms. In this article, we present the emerging concept of autonomous mobility-on-demand, whereby centrally orchestrated fleets of autonomous vehicles provide mobility service to customers. We provide a comprehensive review of methods and tools to model and solve problems related to autonomous mobility-on-demand systems. Specifically, we first identify problem settings for their analysis and control, from both operational and planning perspectives. We then review modeling aspects, including transportation networks, transportation demand, congestion, operational constraints, and interactions with existing infrastructure. Thereafter, we provide a systematic analysis of existing solution methods and performance metrics, highlighting trends and trade-offs. Finally, we present various directions for further research.

社会・環境報告書 = Sustainability report

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Cost-based analysis of autonomous mobility services

Abstract: The fast advances in autonomous driving technology prompt the question of suitable operational models for future autonomous vehicles. A key determinant of the viability of such operational models is the competitiveness of their cost structures. Using a comprehensive analysis of the respective cost structures, this research shows that public transportation (in its current form) will only remain economic in situations which allow substantial bundling of demand. In all other cases, shared and pooled vehicles serve the travel demand more efficiently. In contrast to the general opinion, shared fleets may not be the most efficient alternative due to higher efforts for vehicle cleaning. Moreover, a substantial share of vehicles may remain in private possession and use.

Deep Learning in the Industrial Internet of Things: Potentials, Challenges, and Emerging Applications

Abstract: Recent advances in the Internet of Things (IoT) are giving rise to a proliferation of interconnected devices, allowing the use of various smart applications The enormous number of IoT devices generates a large volume of data that requires further intelligent data analysis and processing methods such as deep learning (DL) Notably, DL algorithms, when applied to the Industrial IoT (IIoT), can provide various new applications, such as smart assembling, smart manufacturing, efficient networking, and accident detection and prevention Motivated by these numerous applications, in this article, we present the key potentials of DL in IIoT First, we review various DL techniques, including convolutional neural networks, autoencoders, and recurrent neural networks, as well as their use in different industries We then outline a variety of DL use cases for IIoT systems, including smart manufacturing, smart metering, and smart agriculture We delineate several research challenges with the effective design and appropriate implementation of DL-IIoT Finally, we present several future research directions to inspire and motivate further research in this area

Joint Design of Multimodal Transit Networks and Shared Autonomous Mobility Fleets

Abstract: Providing quality transit service to travelers in low-density areas, particularly travelers without personal vehicles, is a constant challenge for transit agencies. The advent of fully-autonomous vehicles (AVs) and their inclusion in mobility service fleets may allow transit agencies to offer better service and/or reduce their own capital and operational costs. This study focuses on the problem of allocating resources between transit patterns and operating (or subsidizing) shared-use AV mobility services (SAMSs) in a large metropolitan area. To address this question, a joint transit network redesign and SAMS fleet size determination problem (JTNR-SFSDP) is introduced, and a bi-level mathematical programming formulation and solution approach are presented. The upper-level problem modifies a transit network frequency setting problem (TNFSP) formulation via incorporating SAMS fleet size as a decision variable and allowing the removal of bus routes. The lower-level problem consists of a dynamic combined mode choice-traveler assignment problem (DCMC-TAP) formulation. The heuristic solution procedure involves solving the upper-level problem using a nonlinear programming solver and solving the lower-level problem using an iterative agent-based assignment-simulation approach. To illustrate the effectiveness of the modeling framework, this study uses traveler demand from Chicago along with the region’s existing multimodal transit network. The computational results indicate significant traveler benefits, in terms of improved average traveler wait times, associated with optimizing the joint design of multimodal transit networks and SAMS fleets compared with the initial transit network design.