Mobilityweek

Free public transport for all, hyperloops across Europe, self driving cars, autonomous drone deliveries or zero-emission aircraft. What will mobility in 2050 look like?

Mobility is a wicked problem – deeply complex and connected with societal challenges like climate change, social equity and urban health. So thinking about the future of mobility is not straightforward. It is a journey through countless dilemma’s and inevitable trade-offs. At TU Delft we have researchers from all needed disciplined to make sense of mobility. We develop much needed knowledge, new tools, smart vehicles or vessels and digital twins. We help think through bold new policies and know how to design for uncertainty.

The future depends on the choices we make today. In the week leading up to our birthday, we invite all students, staff, peers, professionals, policy makers and partners to together make sense of mobility. Join one of the events and help steer towards a more sustainable, just and resilient future.

Dies Natalis

Making sense of mobility is the theme for our 183rd Dies Natalis celebrations. Join us on Thursday 16 January 2025 to shape the future of mobility together.

Look at the programm Register

What will mobility in 2050 look like in a society that embraces technological innovation? Or in a world where caution is paramount? In different political climates, what will happen to the logistics of goods, from e-commerce packages to international freight transport?

A team of twelve mobility scientists from TU Delft, the “Mobilisers,” delved into the impact of technologies such as autonomous vehicles, sustainable fuels and new transportation solutions on the way we live and work. Using four radical but realistic future perspectives, they look at the mobility of the future for both passenger and freight transportation. Their approach explains the complexity of making the mobility system more sustainable and shows what trade-offs play a role in achieving sustainable, affordable, reliable, safe and inclusive mobility.

The four future perspectives were drawn up in co-creation with stakeholders from government and industry. In January, as part of TU Delft's 183rd Dies Natalis, the Mobilisers of the TU Delft will present their work.

We all strive for a sustainable, affordable, inclusive, safe, and resilient mobility system. Yet there are many restraints in qualified labour, financial resources, materials, energy and physical space. Navigating the dilemmas and trade-offs is a wicked problem.
Deborah Nas, Professor of Strategic Design for Technology-Based Innovation

The future of mobility depends on the choices we make today. At TU Delft we have all the academic expertise needed to make the future sustainable, equitable and resilient.

Stories of Science

Story

| In our labs

Sustainable aviation

Energy efficient aircraft wings, morphing with artificial intelligence, engines for the green aviation fuels of the future, measuring noise and climate effects of aircraft. These are some examples of how our Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at TU Delft makes aviation sustainable.

| Watch time: 8:16 min.

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Revolutionising the Aircraft Industry

You can build a fantastic, sustainable airplane. But if there’s no airfield where it can re-fuel, because it’s hydrogen powered, and if it can’t land, then it won’t be used. The entire system must be addressed. In this Pioneering Tech video prof. Rinze Benedictus and prof. Marios Kotsonis.

Remote control of automated cars

What if an automated car has trouble? Georgios Papaioannou and his team work on improving a remote operators’ driving performance, using visual and haptic feedback.

SenseBike

This bicycle is packed with advances sensors. When cycling through the city, the SenseBike creates a detailed map of the urban environment in real-time and collects valuable close-up data on cyclists’ behaviour. This helps improve algorithms of automated cars and design safer intersections for cyclists.