PhD position in Physics-informed Traffic Management in Intelligent Transportation Systems in Zürich

The Traffic Engineering Group (SVT) of the Institute for Transport Planning and Systems (IVT) at ETH Zurich intends to develop scalable optimization systems for operational support in large-scale road networks.

Modeling and simulation are powerful tools for developing and validating traffic management and control strategies in urban and freeway environments. At the same time, data-driven methodologies and machine learning offer new opportunities for optimal traffic management strategies but often they lack physical intuition, which creates obstacles towards large-scale deployment and public acceptability.

The motivation of the proposed project is to explore physics-informed solutions, combining established knowledge from modeling approaches with the capability of machine learning to capture complex patterns observed in real-world cases. The goal is the development of robust traffic management strategies for highway (e.g. ramp control) or urban (e.g. perimeter control) networks focusing on minimizing the time that users spend in the network and their energy consumption while homogenizing traffic flows. The role of connected and automated vehicles as mobile sensors and actuators within congested environments will be explored. Modeling and simulation will be used as tools for assessment.

You are encouraged to conduct research in the following areas:

• Traffic management and control
• Physics-informed machine learning
• Driver and traffic dynamics
• Traffic modeling simulation

You ideally have a Master’s Degree in engineering, applied mathematics, computer science, or related fields. You are highly motivated, and determined, and you have excellent communication and writing skills (proficient spoken and written English is required).

Moreover, the following skills are expected:

• Strong background in mathematics, optimization and/or control sciences
• Interest in traffic engineering
• Hands-on experience with programming on machine learning and/or data analysis
• Experience in traffic simulation and modeling
• Team working and communication skills.
• Knowledge of the German language is a plus

You are expected to:

• Publish in top journals and scientific conferences
• Participate in research proposal preparation
• Guide/follow semester projects at BSc/MSc level
• Teach within the SVT course program
• Contribute to the operation of the group and the Institute.

You enjoy working in an interactive international environment with other doctoral students, post-docs, and senior scientists, referring continuously to practical problems and solutions. This position will be available as of September 2023 or upon agreement.

ETH Zurich is a family-friendly employer with excellent working conditions. You can look forward to an exciting working environment, cultural diversity and attractive offers and benefits.