Event Calendar
Past Event
NUTC Seminar Series: "Planning Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing Aircraft (eVTOL)-Based Package Delivery with Community Noise Impact Considerations" | Dr. Bo Sou, University of Illinois Chicago
Northwestern University Transportation Center
4:00 PM
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Ruan Conference Center, Chambers Hall
Details
Planning Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing Aircraft (eVTOL)-Based Package Delivery with Community Noise Impact Considerations
Dr. Bo Zou
Assistant Professor
University of Illinois Chicago
Abstract
The rapid development of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) in recent years suggests a potential to use electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOLs) for package delivery in metropolitan areas. While eVTOL manufacturers and logistics service providers have been actively developing prototype eVTOLs and exploring their potentials in the delivery business, a system thinking about the suitability and ways to operate an eVTOL-based package delivery system remains scarce. A key aspect of the system thinking is the noise impact of eVTOL operations on surrounding communities, which affects public acceptance of eVTOL-based delivery.
In this study, we seek to provide an operational planning framework to prepare AAM to be both economically efficient and community friendly for package delivery. We first develop a method to quantify the community noise impact of an eVTOL operation, based on a proposed “community exposure” measure. Then, a bi-objective integer programming model is formulated which simultaneously optimizes total shipping cost and community noise impact of eVTOL-based operations. The optimization takes into account constraints that may arise from eVTOL-based package delivery including maximum distance for local delivery, package delivery time window, and eVTOL fleet size and carrying capacity. A tailored solution algorithm which augments non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm 2 (NSGA2) with guided generation of initial population of solutions and customized local search heuristics is devised. The model and the algorithm are implemented in a case study in the Chicago metro area. Numerical results reveal the trade-off between the minimization of shipping cost and community noise impact. Several operational insights about eVTOL-based package delivery are obtained. The computational efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed algorithm are also demonstrated in comparison with alternative solution methods.
Bio
Bo Zou is an associate professor in the Department of Civil, Materials, and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois Chicago. He has also been a visiting associate professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UC Berkeley. Prof. Zou’s research interests focus on technology innovations and their use in and impact on transportation systems. Prof. Zou’s research has been funded by a number of agencies including the World Bank, NSF, NASA, USDOT, and DOE. Currently, he is Director for Technology Transfer and Commercialization for the USDOT-funded Center for Freight Transportation for Efficient & Resilient Supply Chain. Prof. Zou serves a number of roles in the transportation community including as an associate editor for Journal of Air Transport Management and Transportation Letters, an editorial board member of Transportation Research Part B/C/E, and editorial board lead of the TRB Freight Transportation Planning and Logistics (AT015) Committee. Prof. Zou received Ph.D. in civil engineering from UC Berkeley, M.S. in transportation engineering and B.E. in civil engineering from Tsinghua University in China, and Diplôme d’Ingénieur from Ecole Centrale Nantes in France.
Time
Thursday, October 5, 2023 at 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Location
Ruan Conference Center, Chambers Hall Map
Contact
Calendar
Northwestern University Transportation Center
NUTC Seminar Series | "A Mega Project: Road/Bridge from Finland to Sweden" - Antti Talvitie
Northwestern University Transportation Center
4:00 PM
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Ruan Conference Room, Chambers Hall
Details
Abstract
TBD
Bio
Mr. Talvitie is a transportation consultant and certified psychoanalyst. He resides in Chicago, IL, USA. He is Professor (Emeritus) at Aalto University, Finland. Previously, Mr. Talvitie was a Senior Transport Specialist at the World Bank, served as Director of Highway Construction and Maintenance in the Finnish Road Administration, and was Professor and Chairman of the Department of Civil Engineering at the State University of New York at Buffalo (SUNY-Buffalo). Mr. Talvitie graduated from Aalto University, Espoo, Finland. He has an MSc and Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Northwestern University, Evanston, IL. He is a Certified Psychoanalyst (Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis).
Time
Thursday, May 15, 2025 at 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Location
Ruan Conference Room, Chambers Hall Map
Contact
Calendar
Northwestern University Transportation Center
NUTC Seminar Series | "Recent Advances in Transit Operations Analysis" - Nigel Wilson, MIT
Northwestern University Transportation Center
4:00 PM
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Ruan Conference Room, Chambers Hall
Details
Abstract
For the past thirty years, the MIT Transit Lab has been engaged in long-term research collaborations with a range of large urban public transport agencies including London (Transport for London), Boston (MBTA), Chicago (CTA), Washington DC (WMATA), San Juan (PRHTA) and Hong Kong (MTR). Much of this stream of research has focused on the role that automatic data collection systems can play in improving transit performance including tackling fundamental problems such as passenger origin-destination matrix estimation and measuring service reliability, using data from automated fare collection systems and automatic vehicle monitoring systems. This seminar will focus on recent MIT initiatives in transit operations analysis, much of which builds on the earlier work but also includes use of newer data sources and more advanced analysis methods.
Bio
Professor Nigel Wilson, director of the MIT Transit Research Program, has more than 30 years experience dealing with operations, management and planning issues associated with transit systems worldwide. His research and teaching focus on urban public transportation, including topics related to the operation, analysis, planning and management of transit systems. Specific research activities he has directed include using automated data systems to improve planning and operations, workforce planning in the transit industry, short-range transit planning methods, the role of private operators in public transportation and the potential for computers and communication systems to improve the performance of transit systems. During two leaves from MIT, he worked directly in three large transit agencies, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (1985-86), London Transport (1992-93) and Metro Transit (2008-2009) and has also consulted to a number of other North American transit authorities. Additional information about Professor Wilson can be found on MIT's Civil and Environmental Engineering website.
Time
Thursday, May 22, 2025 at 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Location
Ruan Conference Room, Chambers Hall Map
Contact
Calendar
Northwestern University Transportation Center
2024-2025 Commencement Ceremony
University Academic Calendar
All Day
Details
2024-2025 Commencement Ceremony
Time
Sunday, June 15, 2025
Contact
Calendar
University Academic Calendar
Northwestern Engineering PhD Hooding and Master's Degree Recognition Ceremony
McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science
9:00 AM
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2705 Ashland Ave
Details
McCormick School of Engineering PhD Hooding and Master's Degree Recognition Ceremony. The most up to date information can be found on our graduation webpage.
Time
Monday, June 16, 2025 at 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Location
2705 Ashland Ave
Contact
Calendar
McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science
Northwestern Engineering Undergraduate Convocation
McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science
2:00 PM
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2705 Ashland Ave
Details
McCormick School of Engineering Undergraduate Convocation. The most up to date information can be found on our graduation webpage.
Time
Monday, June 16, 2025 at 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Location
2705 Ashland Ave
Contact
Calendar
McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science
2025 ITEA Summer School
Northwestern University Transportation Center
All Day
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Ruan Conference Center, Lower Level, Chambers Hall
Details
The aim of the ITEA Annual School is to provide young researchers with a high-quality introduction to academic research on transportation economics, including many recent advances in the field. The School’s program consists of a series of lectures and tutorials conducted by some of the most prominent researchers in transportation economics. In addition, the students are given the possibility to present their own work at the Conference.
Time
Monday, June 23, 2025
Location
Ruan Conference Center, Lower Level, Chambers Hall Map
Contact
Calendar
Northwestern University Transportation Center
2025 ITEA Summer School
Northwestern University Transportation Center
All Day
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Ruan Conference Center, Lower Level, Chambers Hall
Details
The aim of the ITEA Annual School is to provide young researchers with a high-quality introduction to academic research on transportation economics, including many recent advances in the field. The School’s program consists of a series of lectures and tutorials conducted by some of the most prominent researchers in transportation economics. In addition, the students are given the possibility to present their own work at the Conference.
Time
Tuesday, June 24, 2025
Location
Ruan Conference Center, Lower Level, Chambers Hall Map
Contact
Calendar
Northwestern University Transportation Center
2025 ITEA Summer School
Northwestern University Transportation Center
All Day
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Ruan Conference Center, Lower Level, Chambers Hall
Details
The aim of the ITEA Annual School is to provide young researchers with a high-quality introduction to academic research on transportation economics, including many recent advances in the field. The School’s program consists of a series of lectures and tutorials conducted by some of the most prominent researchers in transportation economics. In addition, the students are given the possibility to present their own work at the Conference.
Time
Wednesday, June 25, 2025
Location
Ruan Conference Center, Lower Level, Chambers Hall Map
Contact
Calendar
Northwestern University Transportation Center
2025 ITEA Annual Conference
Northwestern University Transportation Center
All Day
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Kellogg Global Hub
Details
The aim of the ITEA Annual Conference is to promote scientific excellence in the field of transportation economics and to provide a forum for scientific exchange. Research presented at the conference covers both theory and empirical work, including all transport modes and a wide range of research methodologies.
Time
Wednesday, June 25, 2025
Location
Kellogg Global Hub Map
Contact
Calendar
Northwestern University Transportation Center
2025 ITEA Annual Conference
Northwestern University Transportation Center
All Day
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Kellogg Global Hub
Details
The aim of the ITEA Annual Conference is to promote scientific excellence in the field of transportation economics and to provide a forum for scientific exchange. Research presented at the conference covers both theory and empirical work, including all transport modes and a wide range of research methodologies.
Time
Thursday, June 26, 2025
Location
Kellogg Global Hub Map
Contact
Calendar
Northwestern University Transportation Center
2025 ITEA Annual Conference
Northwestern University Transportation Center
All Day
//
Kellogg Global Hub
Details
The aim of the ITEA Annual Conference is to promote scientific excellence in the field of transportation economics and to provide a forum for scientific exchange. Research presented at the conference covers both theory and empirical work, including all transport modes and a wide range of research methodologies.
Time
Friday, June 27, 2025
Location
Kellogg Global Hub Map
Contact
Calendar
Northwestern University Transportation Center