Transport and Mobility Laboratory: Research projects

TRANSP-OR

Miscellaneous

We identify new solutions to transportation problems, on the ground, in the air, or on the sea, transport of people or goods, whatever the mode. We focus on technical solutions, but also on their impact on the system as a whole. We are also interested in the interactions of the transportation systems with the land use, the economy, the environment, etc.

Intelligent digital twins for assessing and predicting bridge road traffic demandsTop

Intelligent digital twins for assessing and predicting bridge road traffic demands

Road bridges are a vital part of transportation networks, forming crucial links in natural bottleneck locations and enabling the continual flow of people and goods into, out of, and across cities. However, the analysis used for design and maintenance planning of this community-critical infrastructure is typically carried out using static models and assuming generalized traffic patterns. This analysis represents only peak loading scenarios and does not reflect the spatial and temporal variations in real-world traffic loads. The resulting uncertainty in load prediction can lead to in overengineering in bridge design as well as sub-optimal maintenance planning. Furthermore, as current analysis techniques model only maximal loads, they cannot be used to predict the maintenance condition of bridges due to fatigue from repeated loading and unloading of the bridge over time. This research aims to address these limitations by developing intelligent digital twins which can simulate the response of a bridge to realistic traffic loading scenarios. These digital twin models combine two primary elements: (i) a traffic simulation model which exploits detailed traffic count and weigh-in-motion data to generate time-dependent traffic loadings, and (ii) a detailed structural model which predicts the compliance and maintenance condition of a bridge for different maximal and cyclic loading patterns. The intelligent digital twin is intended to be generalizable to any bridge or network of bridges for which relevant data exists. This will enable these models to be used within an integrated approach to study infrastructure vulnerability and multi-hazard risk management.

Principal investigator
Tim Hillel
Project manager
Tim Hillel
Sponsor
School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC), École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne
Period
October 01, 2020-April 01, 2022
LaTeX description

OrgVisionPro: Automated organizational design and optimizationTop

OrgVisionPro: Automated organizational design and optimization

This project, joint with CLEAP S.A., is will develop advanced analytics algorithms to propose organization design (OD) scenarios based on the existing situation, constraints, and future needs of a business. These scenarios will support organizations in shaping their future by optimizing their structure and operating models.

Principal investigator
Michel Bierlaire
Project managers
Rico Krueger, Tim Hillel
Sponsor
Innosuisse (Swiss Innovation Agency)
Period
October 01, 2019-June 30, 2021
Collaborators
Melvin Wong, Nour Dougui
External collaboration
Laurent Jaquenoud
LaTeX description

Capacity building program in urban mobility and transportationTop

Capacity building program in urban mobility and transportationState Secretariat for Economic Affairs

The purpose of this project is to develop graduate curriculum in urban mobility and transportation. The relevant courses of this curriculum will be available in MOOC format. This program is a collaborative project between Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and Urban Transport Systems Laboratory (LUTS) and Transport and Mobility Laboratory (TRANSP-OR) at EPFL.

Principal investigator
Michel Bierlaire
Project managers
Yousef Maknoon, Riccardo Scarinci, Yuki Oyama
Sponsor
State Secretariat for Economic Affairs
Period
September 01, 2016-September 01, 2019
External collaboration
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST)
External collaboration
LUTS
LaTeX description

Leveraging Public and Open Data for Transportation Mode detectionTop

Leveraging Public and Open Data for Transportation Mode detectionSwisscom

Modern smartphones are more than just calling devices. They harbor a wealth of information that provides the transportation field with a new potential. In this project, researchers will create a transportation mode detection model based on telecommunication data from smartphone users combined with public transport-related data sources. The researchers are provided with anonymized telecommunication traces. As those data remain scarce, additional data will be identified from external sources including network infrastructure, route maps, time schedules in static or real-time form, microcensus, weather, etc. A probabilistic model will be developed to infer the transportation modes from those various data sources. The project lasts one year, and will be carried out by the Transport and Mobility Laboratory, directed by Prof. Michel Bierlaire. It is sponsored by Swisscom.

Principal investigator
Michel Bierlaire
Project managers
Marija Nikolic, Riccardo Scarinci
Sponsor
Swisscom
Period
September 04, 2017-September 04, 2018
External collaboration
Swisscom
LaTeX description

SIEU : Urban Energy Information SystemTop

SIEU : Urban Energy Information SystemThe Ark Energy

The role of local authorities in reaching climate and energy goals is important. Consolidated data about energy at the local scale is necessary in order to fully measure the effects of policies and to adapt action-plans. The goal of this project is to evaluate the feasibility of a single platform with all the relevant energy data for a local authority, in particular statistics about mobility.

Principal investigator
Michel Bierlaire
Project manager
Antonin Danalet
Sponsor
The Ark Energy
Period
September 01, 2011-June 30, 2012
Collaborator
Antonin Danalet
External collaboration
Centre de Recherches Energétiques et Municipales (CREM, Martigny, Switzerland)
LaTeX description

OPTIMA: Inferring transport mode preferences from attitudesTop

OPTIMA: Inferring transport mode preferences from attitudesLaPoste

Swiss Post and PostBus have launched a research project to optimize mobility in cooperation with the Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), represented by EPFL Transportation Center, under Professor Michel Bierlaire. This will show the market potential for combined mobility. Among other things it will look at the factors that influence travellers in their choice of transport. At a later stage, target group-specific new transport offerings and services will be developed and tested, which will have a lasting influence on this choice. The three years research project is conducted by Professors Vincent Kaufmann (LASUR) and Michel Bierlaire (TRANSP-OR).

Principal investigator
Michel Bierlaire
Project manager
Anne Curchod
Sponsor
LaPoste
Period
February 01, 2009-June 30, 2012
Collaborators
Aurélie Glerum, Bilge Atasoy, Antonin Danalet
External collaboration
Vincent Kaufman (LASUR)
External collaboration
Prisca Faure (CEAT)
External collaboration
Martin Schuler (CEAT)
LaTeX description

Behavioural modelling of human experts for scene analysisTop

Behavioural modelling of human experts for scene analysisSwiss National Science Foundation

Modelling the global appraisal process of experts in the context of scene analysis.

Principal investigator
Michel Bierlaire
Project managers
Javier Cruz, Thomas Robin
Sponsor
Swiss National Science Foundation
Period
October 01, 2007-September 30, 2010
LaTeX description

SOPHOS: Simulation-based Optimization of the Performance in Hospital Operating suitesTop

SOPHOS: Simulation-based Optimization of the Performance in Hospital Operating suitesSwiss National Science Foundation

Design an optimization framework combining macroscopic and microscopic models, with applications in hospital management and urban road traffic.

Report(s):
Osorio, C., and Bierlaire, M. An analytic finite capacity queueing network model capturing blocking, congestion and spillbacks
Principal investigator
Michel Bierlaire
Project manager
Carolina Osorio Pizano
Sponsor
Swiss National Science Foundation
Period
December 01, 2007-November 30, 2009
LaTeX description

Invariant features in omnidirectional imagesTop

Invariant features in omnidirectional imagesTransport and Mobility Laboratory, EPFL

Design of algorithms to extract invariant features from images captured by omnidirectional cameras.

Report(s):
Cruz, J., Bogdanova, I., Paquier, B., Bierlaire, M., and Thiran, J. Scale Invariant Feature Transform on the Sphere: Theory and Applications
Principal investigator
Michel Bierlaire
Project manager
Javier Cruz
Sponsor
Transport and Mobility Laboratory, EPFL
Period
May 20, 2008-May 01, 2009
External collaboration
Iva Bogdanova (ESL, EPFL)
External collaboration
Benoît Paquier (LTS5, EPFL)
External collaboration
Jean-Philippe Thiran (LTS5, EPFL)
LaTeX description

Path to purchaseTop

Path to purchaseNestlé

To understand consumer behavior in his or her path to purchase.

Principal investigator
Michel Bierlaire
Project manager
Kamran Houshang Pour
Sponsor
Nestlé
Period
July 01, 2006-June 30, 2008
Collaborators
Thomas Robin, Gianluca Antonini
External collaboration
Jean-Philippe Thiran, ITS, EPFL
LaTeX description

SOPHOS: Simulation-based Optimization of the Performance in Hospital Operating SuitesTop

SOPHOS: Simulation-based Optimization of the Performance in Hospital Operating SuitesSwiss National Science Foundation

Design an optimization framework for the operation suites in hospitals, using simulation tools

Principal investigator
Michel Bierlaire
Project manager
Carolina Osorio Pizano
Sponsor
Swiss National Science Foundation
Period
December 01, 2005-November 30, 2007
External collaboration
HUG (Hôpital Universitaire Genève)
LaTeX description

Enseignement orienté projet assisté par ordinateurTop

Enseignement orienté projet assisté par ordinateurFonds d'innovation de la formation de l'EPFL

Develop appropriate case studies for teaching optimization to mechanical engineers

Principal investigator
Michel Bierlaire
Project manager
Emma Frejinger
Sponsor
Fonds d'innovation de la formation de l'EPFL
Period
April 01, 2004-March 31, 2006
External collaboration
LENI, EPFL
LaTeX description

Behavioral model-based scene analysisTop

Behavioral model-based scene analysisNCCR Interactive Multimodal Information Management

Development of disaggregate behavior model for scene analysis in the context of video surveillance

Principal investigator
Michel Bierlaire
Project manager
Michel Bierlaire
Sponsor
NCCR Interactive Multimodal Information Management
Period
July 01, 2002-June 30, 2005
Collaborator
Gianluca Antonini
External collaboration
Jean-Philippe Thiran, LTS, EPFL
LaTeX description

Doped derivative-free algorithms for medical image registrationTop

Doped derivative-free algorithms for medical image registrationSwiss National Science Foundation

Design of a new class of derivative-free algorithms exploiting some derivative information, customized for the image registration problem

Principal investigator
Michel Bierlaire
Project manager
Rodrigue Oeuvray
Sponsor
Swiss National Science Foundation
Period
April 01, 2002-March 31, 2005
External collaboration
Philippe Thévenaz, Biomedical Image Group, EPFL
External collaboration
Jean-Philippe Thiran, Signal Processing Laboratory, EPFL
LaTeX description

SIMBAD: Simulation-Based Automatic DetectionTop

SIMBAD: Simulation-Based Automatic DetectionCommission pour la technologie et de l'innovation, Office Fédéral de la formation professionnelle et de la technologie.

Develop a model-based detection system where the scene analysis is supported by a crowd simulator

Principal investigator
Michel Bierlaire
Project manager
Mats Weber
Sponsor
Commission pour la technologie et de l'innovation, Office Fédéral de la formation professionnelle et de la technologie.
Period
October 01, 2002-September 30, 2004
Collaborator
Gianluca Antonini
External collaboration
Mats Weber, ROSO, EPFL
External collaboration
Visiowavw S.A
External collaboration
Jean-Philippe Thiran, LTS, EPFL
LaTeX description

Modèles de prévision de ventes (Sales forecasting models)Top

Modèles de prévision de ventes (Sales forecasting models)infoSource S.A.

Develop forecasting models for sales of various products, such as printers

Principal investigator
Michel Bierlaire
Project manager
Michel Bierlaire
Sponsor
infoSource S.A.
Period
April 01, 2004-May 31, 2004
External collaboration
Sébastien Naizot, ROSO, EPFL
LaTeX description

Simulation du bloc opératoire et de la salle de réveil (Simulation of the surgery block)Top

Simulation du bloc opératoire et de la salle de réveil (Simulation of the surgery block)Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève

Design and implement a model to simulate the operations of the surgery block in the Geneva Hospital

Principal investigator
Michel Bierlaire
Project manager
Michel Bierlaire
Sponsor
Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève
Period
April 01, 2002-March 31, 2004
External collaboration
Christophe Weibel, ROSO, EPFL
External collaboration
Dr. Garnerin, HUG
LaTeX description

TIMS: Tourism Instant Marketing and ShoppingTop

TIMS: Tourism Instant Marketing and ShoppingCommission pour la technologie et de l'innovation, Office Fédéral de la formation professionnelle et de la technologie.

Develop a simulation tool to assess dynamic pricing and yield management strategies in ski resorts

Principal investigator
Michel Bierlaire
Project manager
Michel Bierlaire
Sponsor
Commission pour la technologie et de l'innovation, Office Fédéral de la formation professionnelle et de la technologie.
Period
October 01, 2003-December 31, 2003
External collaboration
Sébastien Naizot, ROSO, EPFL
External collaboration
Groupe de compétence économie et tourisme, HEVs Sierre
LaTeX description

Algorithmes d'optimisation performants pour le recalage rigide d'images en radiochirurgie et en radiothérapie stéréotaxique fractionnée assistées par ordinateurTop

Algorithmes d'optimisation performants pour le recalage rigide d'images en radiochirurgie et en radiothérapie stéréotaxique fractionnée assistées par ordinateurFonds UNIL-EPFL

Development and adaptations of efficient optimisation algorithms dedicated to brain images registration

Principal investigator
Michel Bierlaire
Project manager
Michel Bierlaire
Sponsor
Fonds UNIL-EPFL
Period
March 01, 2001-March 31, 2002
Collaborator
Rodrigue Oeuvray
External collaboration
Dr. Pica, chef de clinique, Service de Radio-Oncologie, CHUV
LaTeX description

Expertise

  • Transportation Research
  • Operations Research
  • Discrete Choice Models

Methods

Modeling, optimization, simulation