Are you interested to be part of a national project aiming at promoting smart mobility solutions and testing of different scenarios by developing digital twins of solutions?

Do you believe (E-) bike (sharing) potential can be better utilized in increasing conveneinece of vehicle design and increase availability of it to wide range of citizens?

Do you think a thoughogh analysis of barrier and potential for using (E-) bike sharing using stated, reveal and VR+ cycling simulator can provide more elaborate picture for this healthy mode of transport and eventually help cities to increase the utilization rate?

Are you eager to work with many other PhDs and post-docs, various companies, and municipalities in the Netherlands to test a wide range of smart mobility solutions within the digital twin of Dutch cities?

Job Description

Increasing housing density and decreasing space for transport infrastructure and private parking are posing severe challenges to the sustainable accessibility of urban regions. There is an urgent need for space-efficient smart mobility solutions that do not depend on the single-use and possession of a private car, such as flexible combinations of walking and cycling, shared electric vehicles, transport hubs, freight delivery and traffic management. However, it is highly uncertain whether these solutions can indeed provide sufficient levels of sustainable accessibility to people's activities. XCARCITY, the project of which this PhD position is part, develops a federation of digital twins that will support stakeholders in collaborative decision-making for the planning and operation of smart mobility services.

The task of this PhD in particular is as follows:

The main goal is to identify various factors important for different population segments in order to shift to cycling as a mode of transport. Perceived safety and security related to urban design at street and neighbourhood level, objective safety indicators (e.g., reaction time, visibility spectrum) in streets of various geometric designs, cost, convenience, travel time, time pressure, weather, policies related to motorised vehicles (parking price, fuel price, tax), bicycle plans for employees and students -- all will be integrated. VR facilities (HTC VIVE Pro, manus gloves), cycling simulator, eye tracking and real-world scenery will be used to create a realistic environment. Sensors like GSR, ECG will be utilised to measure biometric data (heart rate, body temperature) while edimax will be used to measure (synthetic) climate data. Participants will be asked to indicate their willingness to use (E-)bikes (vs. motorised vehicles) in various situations (scenarios). When this is the case, they will start cycling (on a simulator), experiencing cycling on various streets and in different climates (activated by VR). Next, they will be asked to rate each street on various dimensions such as convenience of cycling and perceived safety. The results will be used to identify the role of each factor in the use of (E-)bikes as well as the experience of cycling and safety. Part of the scenarios will be built by adding Automated vehicles (AVs) to the scene to be able to identify the role of this emerging solution in the full spectrum. These virtual worlds with simulations will be linked to real data from the volunteered cyclists on the ground. Such integration is unique in academic studies.

• A master's degree (or an equivalent university degree) in transportation, travel behavior, operational research, and related fields.
• Preknowledge about stated choice experiment design and discrete choice modeling.
• A research-oriented attitude.
• Ability to work in an interdisciplinary team and interest in collaborating with industrial partners.
• Motivated to develop your teaching skills and coach students.
• Fluent in spoken and written English (C1 level).

A meaningful job in a dynamic and ambitious university, in an interdisciplinary setting, and within an international network. You will work on a beautiful, green campus within walking distance of the central train station. In addition, we offer you:

• Full-time employment for four years, with an intermediate evaluation (go/no-go) after nine months. You will spend 10% of your employment on teaching tasks.
• Salary and benefits (such as a pension scheme, paid pregnancy and maternity leave, partially paid parental leave) in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, scale P (min. € 2.541,- max. € 3.247,-).
• A year-end bonus of 8.3% and annual vacation pay of 8%.
• High-quality training programs and other support to grow into a self-aware, autonomous scientific researcher. At TU/e we challenge you to take charge of your own learning process.
• An excellent technical infrastructure, on-campus children's day care, and sports facilities.
• An allowance for commuting, working from home, and internet costs.
• A Staff Immigration Team and a tax compensation scheme (the 30% facility) for international candidates.