Efficient Bayesian optimization techniques for high-dimensional urban mobility problems webinar
Efficient Bayesian optimization techniques for high-dimensional urban mobility problems
April 16, 2021 at 4:40 p.m. ET
Carolina Osorio
Associate Professor, Department of Decision Sciences
HEC Montréal
Abstract: In this talk, Prof. Osorio will discuss the opportunities and challenges of designing simulation based optimization (SO) algorithms to tackle high-dimensional urban mobility problems. An important component in high-dimensional problems is the exploration exploitation tradeoff. Their past work has focused mainly on improving the exploitation capabilities of SO algorithms. In this work, they focus on designing exploration techniques suitable for high-dimensional spaces. They consider a Bayesian optimization setting and propose the use of a simple analytical traffic model to specify the covariance function of a Gaussian process. They show how this enables the Bayesian optimization method to more efficiently sample in high-dimensional spaces. They present validation experiments on synthetic low-dimensional problems. They then apply the method to a high-dimensional traffic control problem for Midtown Manhattan, in NYC.
Bio: Carolina Osorio is an Associate Professor in the Department of Decision Sciences at HEC Montréal, where Osorio holds the SCALE AI Research Chair in Artificial Intelligence for Urban Mobility and Logistics. Osorio is also a Visiting Faculty at Google Research. Osorio’s work develops operations research techniques to inform the design and operations of urban mobility systems. It focuses on simulation-based optimization algorithms for, and analytical probabilistic modeling of, congested urban mobility networks. Osorio was recognized as one of the outstanding early-career engineers in the United States by the National Academy of Engineering’s EU-US Frontiers of Engineering Symposium, and is the recipient of a U.S. National Science Foundation CAREER Award, an MIT CEE Maseeh Excellence in Teaching Award, an MIT Technology Review EmTech Colombia TR35 Award, an IBM Faculty Award and a European Association of Operational Research Societies (EURO) Doctoral Dissertation Award.
Dynamic Driving and Routing Games for Autonomous Vehicles on Networks: A Mean Field Game Approach Webinar
Dynamic Driving and Routing Games for Autonomous Vehicles on Networks: A Mean Field Game Approach
April 9, 2021, 10:40 a.m. ET
Xuan (Sharon) Di
Associate Professor
Department of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics
Smart Cities Center, Data Science Institute
Columbia University in the City of New York
Abstract:
As this era’s biggest game-changer, autonomous vehicles (AV) are expected to exhibit new driving and travel behaviors, thanks to their sensing, communication, and computational capabilities. However, a majority of studies assume AVs are essentially human drivers but react faster, “see” farther, and “know” the road environment better. We believe AVs’ most disruptive characteristic lies in its intelligent goal-seeking and adapting behavior. Building on this understanding, we propose a dynamic game-based control leveraging the notion of mean-field games (MFG). Prof. Di will first introduce how MFG can be applied to the decision-making process of a large number of AVs. To illustrate the potential advantage that AVs may bring to stabilize traffic, she will then introduce a multi-class game where AVs are modeled as intelligent game-players and HVs are modeled using a classical non-equilibrium traffic flow model. Last but not the least, she will talk about how the MFG-based control is generalized to road networks, in which the optimal controls of both velocity and route choice need to be solved for AVs, by resorting to nonlinear complementarity problems.
Bio: Xuan (Sharon) Di is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at Columbia University in the City of New York since September 2016 and serves on a committee for the Smart Cities Center in the Data Science Institute. Prior to joining Columbia, she was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI). She received her Ph.D. degree from the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo-Engineering at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities in 2014.
An Electric Future for Transportation Webinar
An Electric Future for Transportation
Regan Zane
David G. and Diann L. Sant Endowed Professor
Director, NSF ASPIRE ERC
Utah State University
Tuesday, April 6, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. ET
Abstract: Electric vehicles (EVs) offer tremendous opportunity to both reduce the emissions and stabilize and reduce the cost of transportation. However, significant challenges remain, particularly in charging infrastructure. Now is the time, as our nation considers major investments in aging infrastructure, to build for a future designed to support widespread electrification of all vehicle classes. This talk will introduce the ASPIRE ERC and our mission to improve health and quality of life by catalyzing sustainable and equitable electrification in transportation.
Bio: Dr. Regan Zane is Center Director of the NSF Engineering Research Center for Advancing Sustainability through Powered Infrastructure for Roadway Electrification (ASPIRE). He holds the David G. and Diann L. Sant Endowed Professor position at Utah State University in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, where he founded the USU Power Electronics Lab (UPEL), the Electric Vehicle and Roadway (EVR) research facility and test track, and the Battery Limits and Survivability Test (BLAST) lab. He has published approximately 200 peer-reviewed articles, has 28 issued patents, has received international and institutional recognition in research, teaching and innovation, and has raised more than $60 million in research funding to date. His recent research programs span electrified transportation charging systems and infrastructure, from battery, vehicle, and charging systems to grid integration, smart charge management, demand response and distributed energy resources. His programs maintain a strong emphasis on collaboration with academic, government and industry partners to develop and transition innovative technologies into the marketplace.
Florida Department of Transportation District 7 Program Management and Specialty Engineering Seminar
On Friday, March 5, 2021, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Kelli Bradley and Megan Miller will present the seminar “Florida Department of Transportation District 7 Program Management and Specialty Engineering”
To view the seminar, click on this link: Join Microsoft Teams Meeting
+1 813-694-2079 United States, Tampa (Toll)
Conference ID: 495 510 442#
Abstract:
At the Florida Department of Transportation, the Program Management Department handles a wide variety of services. Responsibilities include maintenance of the Work Program, project scheduling and estimates, administration of local agency projects, GIS services and multiple other specialty engineering functions. This presentation will focus mostly on the development of the Work Program as well as the multiple specialty engineering functions which occur in Program Management. The Work Program is the 5-year plan for funding and constructing transportation projects within the 5 counties of District 7. The Work Program requires balancing funding and scheduling of the prioritized projects within the budget allotted for District 7. Implementation of the Work Program is achieved through the cooperation of multiple disciplines and specialty engineering functions within D7.
Kelli Bradley, PE, Program Management Administrator
Kelli is a registered Professional Engineer in both Michigan and Florida. She graduated from Tri-State University (now Trine University) with a B.S. in Civil Engineering. She began her career as a Roadway Designer for the Michigan DOT where she worked for 5 years. After tiring of the cold weather, she relocated to sunny Tampa. She worked her first 8 years here in the FDOT District 7 office as an in-house Roadway Design Team Leader. She then took a promotion to become the PS&E Engineer for District 7 where she worked for just over 2 years. After a brief stint at a Consulting firm, she came back to District 7 where she is now going on 4 ½ years as the Program Management Administrator.
Megan Miller, PE, Special Projects Engineer
Megan graduated from the University of Missouri-Rolla (now Missouri S&T) with a B.S. in Geological Engineering. After college, she worked for environmental consultants performing solid waste landfill design and engineering, first in the Chicago area and then after relocating to Tampa. She then worked at Hillsborough County as a Solid Waste Project Manager for just over 10 years. Megan joined FDOT in 2016 as a Specifications Coordinator and was promoted to Special Projects Engineer in December 2019. She is a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Florida and a Certified Public Manager.
This seminar is hosted by the USF Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Center for Urban Transportation Research, USF Student Chapter of the Institute of Transportation Engineers.
Kelli Bradley
PE, Program Management Administrator
Megan Miller
PE, Special Projects Engineer