IRES Track 1: International Research Experiences for Students in AI-Enabled Decision Analytics for Advancing Air Taxi and Drone Operations

交通拥堵不仅会导致事故、压力和车辆运营成本，也是气候变化、空气污染、经济产出、就业和不同行业企业收入损失的主要原因。为了实现具有成本效益，可持续和更快的运输替代方案，一些公司正在探索超越地面运输的过程，并利用先进的空中交通（AAM）技术来利用航空业。因此，有必要对学生进行AAM设计和操作方面的培训，以便为有效处理下一代交通系统的未来科学劳动力做好准备。AAM服务不仅在美国而且在全球范围内越来越受欢迎。具体而言，由于印度是世界第二人口大国，印度正在进行广泛的最先进研究，以利用新兴技术缓解交通拥堵。因此，该提案的目标是与美国-印度合作开发一个IRES网站，为美国本科生（特别是URM，女性和第一代学生）提供关于开发和应用AI支持的分析方法的跨文化培训（例如，机器学习、优化、仿真）到AAM操作。国际研究以及由IRES参与者获得的行业曝光将提高他们的专业发展，多学科的沟通技巧，并根据他们与公司的研发团队的互动概念化的研究问题的能力&。这个IRES计划将激发美国学生的研究兴趣在变革，国家的最先进的研究项目，例如（i）使用无监督机器学习方法在城市地区建立空中出租车和无人机枢纽，（ii）使用基于仿真的优化模型将AAM车辆分配给客户，（iii）用于最后一英里交付操作的环境感知混合卡车-无人机-机器人技术。本提案中讨论的项目将使下一代运输和物流业务的数字三维空域技术的发展成为可能。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Traffic congestion not only leads to accidents, stress, and vehicle operating cost but is also a major cause of climate change, air pollution, a loss in economic output, jobs, and revenues for businesses across different sectors. In an attempt to achieve a cost-efficient, sustainable and faster transportation alternative, several companies are in the process of exploring beyond ground transportation and leveraging the aviation industry using advanced air mobility (AAM) technologies. Therefore, it is necessary to train students in AAM design and operations in order to prepare the future scientific workforce for effectively handling next-generation transportation systems. AAM services are not only gaining popularity in the US but also worldwide. Specifically, since India is the second most populous country in the world, extensive state-of-the-art research is being conducted in India to alleviate traffic congestion using emerging technologies. Hence, the goal of this proposal is to develop an IRES site with US-India partnership to provide U.S. undergraduate students (particularly URM, women, and first-generation students) with cross-cultural training on the development and application of AI-enabled analytic methods (e.g., machine learning, optimization, simulation) to AAM operations. The international research as well as industry exposure acquired by the IRES participants will enhance their professional development, multidisciplinary communication skills, and ability to conceptualize research questions based on their interaction with a company’s R&D team.This IRES program will instigate U.S. students’ research interest in transformative, state-of-the-art research projects, such as (i) establishing air taxi and drone hubs in urban areas using unsupervised machine learning methods, (ii) allocation of AAM vehicles to customers using simulation-based optimization models, (iii) environmentally aware hybrid truck-drone-robot technology for last-mile delivery operations. The projects discussed in this proposal will enable the development of digital three-dimensional airspace technologies for next-generation transportation and logistics operations.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.