Internship | Dynamic road space allocation with shared mobility hubs

About this position

With growing housing needs, increasing density and limited space for transport infrastructure and private parking, there is an urgent need for innovation in the mobility sector. The XCARCITY project investigates how to facilitate and support implementation of car-free areas in Amsterdam, Almere Pampus, and Metropoolregio Rotterdam Den Haag.

What will be your role?

Car-free and car-low areas offer many benefits by freeing up road space, reducing congestion and parking requirements, and generally contributing to the increased livability of the city centre. However, other solutions are needed to keep these areas accessible. One of these is offering shared mobility services, in the form of shared electric bicycles and scooters, to move people into car-low areas. While this is a popular solution, it also poses other issues, such as increased congestion to/from shared mobility hubs and the need for parking at these areas. It is suggested to address these challenges by dynamically allocating road space according to the real-time demands of the city.

This project investigates how dynamically allocating road space can be used to balance changes in the network due to the implementation of a car-free area and offering shared mobility services. Lanes can be closed to private vehicles and limited to active modes (bikes, scooters), closed to certain directions of traffic, or even turned into parking spaces, depending on the time of day.

You will develop a prototype of a digital twin in the form of a Markov decision process model using real-world data. Furthermore, you will design an algorithm that allocates road space, considering practical constraints such as how frequently or quickly space can be re-allocated. Lastly, you will investigate the application of a shield approach, which precomputes the feasible actions for each state, also called the permissive policy, to avoid reasoning about unfeasible solutions during the policy optimization.

What we expect from you

A typical thesis project will look as follows:

• Create a simulation environment in e.g. Python using provided traffic data.
• Development of a Markov Decision Process model and optimization method.
• Apply the model to a case study area, to be defined during the project.
• Evaluation of the method, and describing it in an MSc thesis.

What you'll get in return

You want an internship opportunity on the precursor of your career; an internship gives you an opportunity to take a good look at your prospective future employer. TNO goes a step further. It's not just looking that interests us; you and your knowledge are essential to our innovation. That's why we attach a great deal of value to your personal and professional development. You will, of course, be properly supervised during your work placement and be given the scope for you to get the best out of yourself. Furthermore, we provide:

• A highly professional, innovative internship environment, within a team of top experts.
• A suitable internship allowance (615 euro for wo-, hbo- and mbo-students, for a full-time internship).
• Possibility of eight hours of free leave per internship month (for a full-time internship).
• A free membership of Jong TNO, where you can meet other TNO professionals and join several activities, such as sports activities, (work-related) courses or the yearly ski-trip.
• Use of a laptop.
• An allowance for travel expenses in case you don’t receive an OV-card.

TNO as an employer

At TNO, we innovate for a healthier, safer, and more sustainable life. And for a strong economy. Since 1932, we have been making knowledge and technology available for the common good. We find each other in wonder and ingenuity. We are driven to push boundaries. There is all the space and support for your talent and ambition. You work with people who will challenge you: who inspire you and want to learn from you. Our state-of-the-art facilities are there to realize your vision. What you do at TNO matters: impact makes the difference. Because with every innovation you contribute to tomorrow’s world.

At TNO, we encourage an inclusive work environment, where you can be yourself. Whatever your story and whatever unique qualities you bring to the table. It is by combining our unique strengths and perspectives that we are able to develop innovations that make a real difference in society.

The selection process

After the first CV selection, the application process will be conducted by the concerning department. TNO will provide a suitable internship agreement. For this internship vacancy, it is required that the AIVD issues a security clearance (VGB) after conducting a security screening. Take into account that this process may take about 8 weeks. If you have been abroad for more than 6 consecutive months, or if you do not have the Dutch nationality, it may take longer.

Important to be aware of before applying:

• Before the start of the internship, the internship agreement from TNO needs to be signed. For students at a college or university based in the Netherlands, TNO uses the UNL-template (supplemented with a number of specific agreements from TNO). For students of foreign and MBO educational institutions, the TNO internship agreement applies. TNO does not sign any other internship agreements.
• Before the start of the internship, the educational institution will need to confirm in writing that:
  • You are enrolled at the educational institution during the internship.
  • The internship takes place as part of the programme of the study.
• The confirmation of the educational institution takes place by signing the UNL template or forms prepared by TNO.
• Interns at TNO must be in possession of a Dutch residential address at the start of the internship. Performance of internship activities from abroad is not possible.

Has this job opening sparked your interest?

Then we’d like to hear from you! To apply, please upload your CV and covering letter using the ‘apply now’ button.

For more information, you can contact Maiara Biscaro Uliana at maiara.biscarouliana@tno.nl.