ERC grant for Serge Hoogendoorn

Intelligent Multi-modal Transfer Flow Management system

Serge Hoogendoorn (Professor Traffic Operations & Management) received an ERC proof of concept grant for the further development of an intelligent multi-modal transfer flow management system. This innovative pedestrian management system aims to make transfers at multi-modal hubs as efficient, reliable and safe for the traveller as possible. Prof. Hoogendoorn will be building on the findings of the ERC Allegro project started in 2015. 

Competing with car travel
In sustainable transport systems, the role of multi-modal trips is increasingly important. To be able to compete with car travel, transfers in multi-modal trips need to be safe, but also as smooth, reliable and efficient as possible. Access, egress, and transferring within or between modes is still a major source of trip disutility. Traveller flow management systems can yield large improvements by providing information and guidance to the travellers in the transfer hub and controlling traveller flows using turnstiles, escalators, crowd control, etc. 

Smart and state-of-the-art
At the basis of the system is a state-of-the-art real-time monitoring system, collecting and combining data from heterogeneous sensors - including sentiment data, stemming from social data and other forms of crowd sourcing developed in ALLEGRO - to estimate, predict and diagnose the flows inside the hub. The ERC proof of concept pedestrian management system aims to make transfers at multi-modal hubs as efficient, reliable and safe for the traveller as possible, using advanced sensing and actuation technology, state-of-the-art control strategies and our knowledge of passenger behaviour. Smart combination of data provides an accurate and comprehensive estimate of the state. Using a multi-faceted diagnoses system allows problem identification in terms of traveller comfort, efficiency, and safety. 

A pilot will be performed at a selection of one or several hubs in the Netherlands which have already been outfitted with a large range of sensors as part of the SMART Station program by the stations division of Netherlands Railways (NS). The results will be shared with the key stakeholders in Europe. 

About ERC Proof of Concept
ERC Proof of Concept grants, help researchers who are currently conducting ERC funded research, to explore the commercial or societal potential of their ERC funded work and bring the results of their frontier research closer to market.