IIP - Intelligent Intermodal Commuter Traffic

Image

Optimization of commuter traffic flows in the city of Osnabrück 

Traffic congestion is constantly increasing - especially in the area of motorized private transport during rush hours. This is precisely where the “Intelligent Intermodal Commuter Traffic” (IIP) project comes in: Optimizing intermodal mobility networks and intelligently link different modes of transport such as public transport, bicycles or cars - both in urban and rural areas. The protection of personal data plays a central role here, as the underlying mobility data must of course be anonymized and processed in compliance with data protection regulations.

“With our research, we are helping to protect the environment by making commuter traffic more efficient and sustainable,” says Prof. Dr. Clemens Westerkamp, Professor of Computer Science at Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences and IIP project manager.

Data protection meets data diversity: how mobility can become smarter

In order to offer commuters smarter transport options in the future, the project combines data from traffic counts, crowdsourcing and citizen participation, among other things. With the help of artificial intelligence, different road users - from pedestrians and e-scooters to cars - can be anonymized and their movement data analysed. The developed data kit makes it possible to anonymize personal information in a targeted manner and still identify relevant mobility patterns. On this basis, CO₂ balances can be drawn up for various transport options, intelligent route suggestions can be developed and individual mobility planning can be optimized - for example, by suggesting a switch from car to bus or bicycle depending on the traffic situation. The aim is to create incentives for the use of non-motorized means of transport in particular. 

The general public will benefit from better planning of road use or optimization of traffic light circuits. Public utilities will be able to better plan their bus service.

Application in practice: Together with strong partners towards mobility in the public interest

In Osnabrück, where the volume of traffic has increased significantly in recent years, the approaches developed are being tested in practice. Together with local authorities and research institutions, a platform is being created on which mobility data from various sources is bundled and processed. This anonymized data is also available to start-ups and companies in order to develop services for the common good - for example for low-emission urban logistics or the optimization of commuter traffic. The tools developed will be made available as open source solutions and will thus also be made accessible to other cities and regions.

Further information: www.hs-osnabrueck.de/iip/