TIL/T&P Masterclass presentation by Henk Taale on the ITSEdulab and on choosing a graduation project. 15 March 2012

1. ITS Edulab
A Logical Choice
dr.ir. Henk Taale
Rijkswaterstaat, Delft University of
Technology and TrafficQuest
March 15th, 2012

2. Background
• Test centre Rijkswaterstaat
– Testing of traffic management systems
– Instructing traffic operators
– Testing of integrated systems, possibly with simulation
• Cooperation with TRAIL
– TRAIL: cooperation between universities on transport,
infrastructure and logistics
– Project RegioLab
• Connection practice – science
– DVS less scientific
– TU research focuses on finances and not on problems
• Decrease in number of students traffic and transport
Rijkswaterstaat
2012-06/2 Delft University of Technology March 15th, 2012

3. Occasion
Rijkswaterstaat
2012-06/3 Delft University of Technology March 15th, 2012

4. Toronto
• University of Toronto was initiator
– MoT makes traffic data available for free
– Number of other sponsors (public and private)
• Big room with PC’s and video wall
– Data warehouse with open interfaces
– Simulation models, control algorithms
– Real-time traffic data and CCTV images
• Project manager employed by MoT and UoT
– Critical factors: authority & enthusiasm
• Costs for realisation: “several millions” CAD
• High scientific level of research group
– Strong increase in number of students
Rijkswaterstaat
2012-06/4 Delft University of Technology March 15th, 2012

5. ITS Edulab
• Cooperation DVS and Delft University of Technology
• Goal: connection between scientific research and the actual practice
of Rijkswaterstaat
• DVS
– Means and facilities (workplaces, data)
– Research topics and questions
– Part of the supervision of students
• TU Delft
– Research questions
– Supervision of students
– Educational program and PR
Rijkswaterstaat
2012-06/5 Delft University of Technology March 15th, 2012

6. Research Topics
• Incident management
• Traffic Information
• Traffic Management
• Safety and Sustainability
• Road Pricing
• Road Construction and Maintenance
• Remaining Topics
Rijkswaterstaat
2012-06/6 Delft University of Technology March 15th, 2012

7. Research Questions (1)
• Incident management
– If and how is it possible to estimate duration of incidents in real
time?
• Traffic Information
– How can in-car technology be used for real-time traffic
information?
• Traffic Management
– How to coordinate and integrate traffic management in a regional
network?
• Safety and Sustainability
– Is there a better way to determine environmental effects and can
measurements with satellites be used for this?
Rijkswaterstaat
2012-06/7 Delft University of Technology March 15th, 2012

8. Research Questions (2)
• Road Pricing
– Does time dependent road pricing reduce congestion or is the
price compensated so that no effects on congestion can be
expected?
• Road Construction and Maintenance
– How can traffic management contribute to limiting the impacts of
large scale road works?
• Remaining Topics
– What is the influence of weather conditions on traffic operations
and what are the possibilities to improve traffic operations with
weather information?
Rijkswaterstaat
2012-06/8 Delft University of Technology March 15th, 2012

9. Current Status
• Official opening May 1st, 2007 by Joris Al (director DVS) and De
Quelerij (dean of the faculty Civil Engineering)
• 23 students already graduated (MSc)
• 2 students did not
• 6 students working on their thesis
– Perimeter control
– Dutch speed policy
– Hard-shoulder running and behaviour
– Usability of in-car data
– Better traffic management for the A15
– Micro model for merging
Rijkswaterstaat
2012-06/9 Delft University of Technology March 15th, 2012

10. Statistics I
9
8
7
6
Frequency
5
4
3
2
1
0
6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 More
Duration in months
Rijkswaterstaat
2012-06/10 Delft University of Technology March 15th, 2012

11. Statistics II
8
7
6
Frequency
5
4
3
2
1
0
50 75 100 125 150 175 200 More
# Pages of Thesis
Rijkswaterstaat
2012-06/11 Delft University of Technology March 15th, 2012

12. Statistics III
10
9
8
7
Frequency
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
6 7 8 9 10
Grade
Rijkswaterstaat
2012-06/12 Delft University of Technology March 15th, 2012

13. Statistics IV
10
9
8
7
6
Grade
5
4
3
2
1
0
0 100 200 300 400
# Pages
Rijkswaterstaat
2012-06/13 Delft University of Technology March 15th, 2012

14. Statistics V
10
9
8
7
6
Grade
5
4
3
2
1
0
0 5 10 15 20
Duration
Rijkswaterstaat
2012-06/14 Delft University of Technology March 15th, 2012

15. Website
Rijkswaterstaat
2012-06/15 Delft University of Technology March 15th, 2012

16. Achievements
• MSc thesis reports of high scientific quality
• Practical and applicable research for Rijkswaterstaat
• Students choose for jobs in the field of traffic and transport
– 4 students started with PhD projects
– 4 students ended up with Rijkswaterstaat
– 9 students got a job in traffic consultancy firms
– 3 students are working for a manufacturer of traffic systems
– 3 students not known
Rijkswaterstaat
2012-06/16 Delft University of Technology March 15th, 2012

17. Choose a project
• What do you like?
• What are your skills?
• Working on your thesis should be fun
– Topic
– Working environment (colleagues, building)
» Iis a logical choice!
Rijkswaterstaat
2012-06/17 Delft University of Technology March 15th, 2012

18. Colophon
dr.ir. Henk Taale
Rijkswaterstaat
Delft University of Technology
TrafficQuest
E-mail: henk.taale@rws.nl
Pictures: Rijkswaterstaat
Rijkswaterstaat
2012-06/18 Delft University of Technology March 15th, 2012