A continuously increasing demand for transport and limited infrastructure form the scope for the central challenges of traffic management: to secure mobility for people and goods while preserving the environment and natural resources. The basic aim is therefore to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of infrastructure usage and simultaneously reduce pollution through innovative traffic management approaches. Road and rail traffic as well as airports with their intermodal node function are being examined. Investigations into traffic management for public mass events and disasters have a specific application. Here, solutions to support the police and emergency services are being developed.
Road Traffic Management
The work in this research topic contributes to optimising traffic flow. Procedures to record the traffic situation as comprehensively as possible are being developed, in order to methodically improve and further advance road traffic management. Better data collection and evaluation processes are being sought. Methods of road traffic management are improved by taking collective as well as individual control methods into account. Specific requirements for expanded traffic-situation recording are being defined that, for example, also allow conclusions to be drawn regarding travel times or energy consumption and will improve the quality and computing time of road traffic simulations.
Rail Traffic Management
In order to increase the competitiveness of rail transport, DLR researchers are working on state-of-the-art technologies, methods and concepts for the operational, technical and economical optimisation of the rail system. A central aspect is the work on signalling and control systems aimed at European harmonisation of rail transport and focusing on interoperability. Work on improving life-cycle management in order to reduce costs and optimise migration processes for new technical solutions is being performed. The development of new, cost-effective signalling and control systems is proceeding using innovative concepts, focusing on safe and secure vehicle location determination as well as a system to prevent train collisions. In order to support the implementation of the European Train Control System, DLR researchers are working on optimising the validation and certification processes of automatic train control systems. The central infrastructure element for this purpose is the railway simulation and testing laboratory RailSiTe®, with a train control system, an operations control centre and a driver's cab. New options to implement safe and secure railway operation through integrated examination of operational safety and security aspects are being identified in a European context. At the same time, human beings as a source of error are being examined and instruments to reduce or prevent errors are being developed.
Airport Management
For the Airport Management research topic, the goals are derived from Vision 2020 of the Advisory Council for Aeronautics Research in Europe (ACARE), which demands a significant reduction in environmental pollution by carbon dioxide, nitrous oxides and noise emissions, a punctuality rate of 99%, very short passenger check-in times and high safety and security standards. Research projects develop and implement comprehensive terminal management as an essential component of overall airport management that fully integrates land- and air-side operations. In addition, the aim is to facilitate systematic passenger management within the airport by means of new process structures, and to accelerate the development of efficient security checks for passengers, baggage and freight with the use of modern technologies. In order to achieve this, the adapting of check-in processes and the optimising of connections between different modes of transport is being worked on.
Traffic Management for Public Mass Events and Disasters
In the event of a disaster, the legally defined task-sharing among the relief units involved constitutes a serious obstacle. In order to facilitate efficient and systematic traffic management, the aim is to develop a reliable system to support networked decision-making for authorities and organisations with safety tasks, as well as for transport authorities. The system will perform situational assessments based on current traffic information and prognoses, and present decision options using an integrated management and visualisation tool. The necessary data will be obtained in real time by an airborne traffic and infrastructure monitoring system with optical and radar-based sensor technology. To this end, the existing F-SAR radar system is to be expanded to include data preprocessing in quasi-real time and downlink capabilities. In addition, a lighter, compact radar system will be developed for multiple applications.