Meeting #25 – Ontologies for semantic integration of public transportation data: a gentle introduction [Webinar, Part 1/2]

GITMob meeting no. 25

This webinar was presented by Thiago Sobral ORCID iD, a researcher with the Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores, Tecnologia e Ciência (INESC TEC), and Invited Assistant Professor at the University of Porto, Faculty of Engineering. This presentation stems from his recently published work available here.

Link: Zoom meeting

Abstract

In this session we will introduce and define the different types of ontologies, and their importance for providing semantics to heterogeneous data retrieved from multiple sources. The examples discussed throughout this session will be related to public transportation data, which can present different types of data heterogeneity and conform to distinct standards. We will present some practical tools that can be used to model ontologies and integrate them with actual data using graph databases.

Short Bio

Thiago Sobral is a postdoctoral fellow at INESC TEC and Invited Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Porto (FEUP). He holds a Ph.D. in Transportation Systems (MIT Portugal Program) and an M.Sc. in Services Engineering and Management from FEUP. He also holds a B.Sc. in Applied Mathematics, with major in Scientific Computing. He has been participating in research projects related to urban mobility, and has taught some workshops on Data Visualization. His main research interests are data visualization, semantic web technologies and ontology modeling.

Meeting #24 – As cidades e a mobilidade do futuro [Mesa Redonda Online]

GITMob meeting no. 24

Moderador: Sérgio Pedro Duarte

Há cerca de dois meses as nossas rotinas mudaram e as cidades pararam. Muitos ficaram a trabalhar em casa, as ruas ficaram vazias e as lojas fecharam. Alguns redescobriram o comércio local, outros descobriram o comércio eletrónico. Alguns descobriram o tempo livre, outros descobriram os seus bairros percorrendo-os a pé. As ruas vazias trouxeram o silêncio e o ar mais limpo. À medida que as pessoas saíam, as crianças descobriram o que é brincar na rua.Depressa surgiu a ideia que a nossa vida mudou para sempre. A pandemia trazia consigo oportunidades para repensar a economia, o ensino, o comércio, o trabalho. O clima ia mudar, íamos possuir menos e poluir menos. Ao mesmo tempo, sentíamos a falta de socializar, de sair, de estar com pessoas. O silêncio também trazia confusão.

Agora que começamos a sair e a voltar à normalidade. Mas que normalidade é essa que vamos encontrar? O ruído? A poluição? O trânsito?
Por todo o mundo vemos exemplos de cidades que aceleraram alterações aos planos de mobilidade (Londres, Milão, Paris, etc.) para criar uma cidade mais amiga das pessoas e do ambiente. Querem menos carros e mais pessoas. Querem mais proximidade, mas os locais que eram mais frequentados querem continuar a ter quem os visite.

Conseguimos atingir esse equilíbrio? Seremos capazes de nos adaptar a essas novas cidades, ou as nossas deslocações continuarão iguais?
Não é possível pensarmos numa nova cidade sem mudarmos a forma como nos deslocamos. Qual será, então, o impacto da pandemia nas cidades e na mobilidade urbana? Vamos voltar ao normal, ou vamos repensar as cidades e a mobilidade?

O GITMob quis ouvir a perspetiva de quem estuda as cidades, de quem estuda a mobilidade, e de quem aplica as ideias na prática. No próximo dia 26 de maio (terça-feira), pelas 11h00, irá decorrer uma mesa redonda online. Para ter acesso ao endereço da reunião será necessário realizar inscrição aqui.
Aproveitando que os novos hábitos digitais nos abriram portas para ouvir pessoas que nem sempre iríamos conseguir, convidamos três oradores exteriores à FEUP para falarmos sobre o futuro das cidades e da mobilidade.

Ficamos à tua espera,
GITMob

 

Convidados
José Alberto Rio Fernandes (Faculdade de Letras – U. Porto)
Anabela Ribeiro (Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia – U. Coimbra)
José Pedro Rodrigues (Câmara Municipal de Matosinhos)

Moderador

Sérgio Pedro Duarte (FEUP)

 

Nota: A sessão decorrerá em Português. (This session will be conducted in Portuguese.)

Meeting #27 – The Reversible Lane Network Design Problem (RL-NDP) for Smart Cities with Automated Traffic

 

GITMob meeting no. 27
This session took place online (no registration required, Zoom link) on 16 July 2020. The topic of this session was The Reversible Lane Network Design Problem (RL-NDP) for Smart Cities with Automated Traffic, presented by Lígia Conceição ORCID iD, Ph.D. in Transportation Systems. This presentation focused on her recently published work available here.

 

Abstract
With automated vehicles (AVs), reversible lanes could be a sustainable transportation solution once there is vehicle-to-infrastructure connectivity informing AVs about the lane configuration changes. This paper introduced the reversible lane network design problem (RL-NDP), formulated in mixed-integer non-linear mathematical programming—both the traffic assignment and the reversible lane decisions were embedded. The model was applied on an hourly basis in the case study of the city of Delft, the Netherlands. Reversible lanes are examined under no traffic equilibrium (former paths are maintained); user-equilibrium (UE) assignment (AVs decide their own paths); and system-optimum (SO) traffic assignment (AVs are forced to follow SO paths). We found out that reversible lanes reduce congested roads, total travel times, and delays up to 36%, 9%, and 22%, respectively. The SO scenario was revealed to be beneficial in reducing the total travel time and congested roads in peak hours, whereas UE is equally optimal in the remaining hours. A dual-scenario mixing SO and UE throughout the day reduced congested roads, total travel times, and delay up to 40%, 8%, and 19%, respectively, yet increased 1% in travel distance. The spatial analysis suggested a substantial lane variability in the suburbs, yet a strong presence of reversible lanes in the city center.

 

Short Bio
Lígia Conceição, Ph.D. in Transportation Systems from MIT Portugal Program. She worked at TU Delft and MIT on research related to operations research in transport planning and traffic control strategies for automated vehicles. Her former background is an M.Sc in civil engineering focused on transport infrastructures in 2014 at the University of Porto, Portugal. She is an enthusiast and passionate about solving and optimizing problems for a better and more innovative future.

 

Meeting #21 – Especificação de requisitos de um sistema de apoio à decisão para gestão de transporte públicos intermodais

GITMob meeting no. 21

This session took place on 27 February 2020 at room L202A of Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto (FEUP). The topic of the session was “Especificação de requisitos de um sistema de apoio à decisão para gestão de transporte públicos intermodais” (in Portuguese), presented by João Sousa, an M.Sc student from FEUP.

 

 

Meeting #16 – On sharing our experience in Northern India

GITMob meeting no. 16

This session took place on 11 November 2019 at room L202A of Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto (FEUP). The topic of the session was On sharing our experience in Northern India, presented by Teresa Galvão and Thiago Sobral. Teresa Galvão is a Professor at FEUP and Thiago Sobral is a PostDoc researcher at FEUP.

 

Abstract

On sharing our experience in Northern India, presented by the GITMob members Teresa Galvão and Thiago Sobral. In this session, Teresa Galvão and Thiago Sobral talked about their experience in Northern India, where they participated in a research project in Patna. They collaborate on a joint research project on Intelligent Transportation Systems between FEUP and the Indian Institute of Technology Patna, led by Professor João Mendes Moreira (DEI – FEUP / LIAAD – INESC TEC), and Professor Joydeep Chandra (IIT Patna). In this session, they shared their impressions, experiences, and insights on mobility based on their short-term visits to India.

Meeting #23 – Field Trip to ARMIS

GITMob meeting no. 23

GITMob organized a visit to the premises of the company ARMIS! The visit took place on 5 March 2020, during the morning. GITMob thanks ARMIS for having us in their facilities, the visit was very cultivating and enriching!

 

Brief Description of ARMIS

ARMIS is a technology-based company devoted to provide information technologies (IT) services in a wide range of areas, such as transport, sports, health, finance utilities, telco’s and public administration. Sustained by state of the art technology, continuous development, attention to the user experience and customer orientation, ARMIS initiated its activities in 2005 and it is in several countries in the following three main business areas:

 

  • ITS – Intelligent Transport Systems;
  • IT – Development of technological solutions; and
  • DS – Digital Sport.

In the ITS area, ARMIS is an expert in applying state-of-the-art Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to the transport sector, promoting sustainability, efficiency, and safety through smart products and services for improving security and coordination of transport networks. It has participated in several projects for the industry of infrastructures and transport in the areas of traffic management and control, driver information systems, telematics and automation, road infrastructure management, data management and business intelligence, data exchange interfaces, service quality measurement and contractual management.