Research profile
Chair for Traffic Safety and Reliability
The research of the Chair for Traffic Safety and Reliability focuses on three interconnected areas:
Collective Dynamics, Pedestrian and Evacuation Safety
- Pedestrian and crowd dynamics
- Evacuation processes and safety in public spaces
- Modelling of collective behaviour and interactions
- Multi-agent systems and emergent phenomena
Safe and Intelligent Traffic Systems
- Highway and mixed urban traffic
- Advanced driver assistance systems
- Automated and connected mobility
- Interactions between different road users (pedestrians, cyclists, vehicles)
Predictive Reliability and Fault-Tolerant Engineering
- Reliability modelling and prediction
- Probabilistic risk and safety analysis of technical systems
- Failure detection, diagnosis, fault-tolerant design
- Data-driven reliability assessment, predictive maintenance
Methodological framework
We develop mathematical models and numerical simulations based on multi-agent systems, differential equations, stochastic processes and data-driven algorithms, including machine learning and deep learning. Our modelling approach is predominantly bottom-up: from the microscopic interaction behaviour of individual agents with limited information about their environment to the emergence of collective macroscopic dynamics. The research integrates theoretical modelling, numerical analysis and real-world data. Experimental investigations include field studies, controlled experiments, a mobile robot platform and a driving simulator. These methods support the development and validation of simulation tools, intelligent transportation systems, and safe and reliable motion planning for automated systems.
Approach: Modelling → Analysis → Simulation → Experimentation
Duality: Linear models ↔ Non-linear models
Physics and knowledge-based ↔ Data-driven / Deep learning
Microscopic approaches ↔ Meso / Macroscopic approaches
Theoretical modelling ↔ Experimental and data-based validation
We are committed to the principles of Open Science, emphasising open-source software, reproducibility and the FAIR principles (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability and Reusability). Our computational research relies primarily on open-source tools and platforms, including R, Python, Jupyter, and specialised simulation environments such as NetLogo, JuPedSim, SUMO and CARLA. Research software, publications and datasets are made openly accessible whenever possible, supporting transparency, reproducibility and scientific collaboration.
Below are some links to open access data repositories, open source multi-agent simulation platforms, conferences, books and the journal Collective Dynamics.
Pedestrian trajectories
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Dataset Collection at Forschungszentrum Jülich – Experiments
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OpenTraj – Naturalistic
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UniD Dataset – Vulnerable users, naturalistic
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Trajnet++ Trajectory Forecasting Challenge – Naturalistic
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Festival of Lights 2022, Lyon – Naturalistic
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PeTrack – Open-access pedestrian tracking software
Road vehicle trajectories
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MiTra Dataset – Urban freeway, Italy
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I-24 Trajectory Dataset – American highways
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pNEUMA Dataset – Congested urban traffic, Greece
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HighD Dataset – German highways
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InD Dataset – German urban intersections
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RounD dataset – German roundabouts
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Ubiquitous Traffic Eyes – Chinese highways
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OpenACC Database – Trials with vehicles equipped with ACC systems
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NGSIM Dataset – American highways und urban roads
Predictive maintenance
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Kaggle data set – Real & synthetic data
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NASA Prognostics Center of Excellence Data Set Repository – Real & synthetic data
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UCI Machine Learning Repository – Real & synthetic data
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Bearing data set – Real data
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Air compressor datasets – Real data
- NetLogo – Simulation of multi-agent systems (logo)
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JuPedSim – Simulation of pedestrian and crowd dynamics (python)
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Vadere – Simulation of pedestrian and crowd dynamics (java)
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Umans – Simulation of pedestrian and crowd dynamics (C++)
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GAMA Platform – Agent-based modelling and simulation (java)
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Eclipse SUMO – Simulation of Urban MObility (C++)
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CARLA Simulator – Autonomous driving simulator (python, C++)
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MATSim – Large-scale agent-based transport simulations (Java)
Traffic flow and pedestrian dynamics
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International Conference on Pedestrian and Evacuation Dynamics (PED)
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International Symposium on Transportation and Traffic Theory (ISTTT)
Complex systems and multi-agent systems
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International Conference on Practical Applications of Agents and Multi-Agent System (PAAMS)
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International Conference on Computational Collective Intelligence (ICCCI)
Intelligent transportation systems and autonomous vehicles
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IEEE Intelligent Transportation Systems Conference (IEEE ITSC)
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IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (IEEE ICRA)
Reliability engineering
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Annual Meeting on Reliability and Maintainability Symposium (RAMS)
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International Conference on System Reliability and Safety (ICSRS)
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Probabilistic Safety Assessment and Management Conference (PSAM)
See also wikicfp.com (search engine for conferences)
Traffic Flow and Pedestrian Dynamics
- Y. Sugiyama: Dynamics of Asymmetric Dissipative Systems - From Traffic Jam to Collective Motion. Springer (2023)
- C. Feliciani, K. Shimura, K. Nishinari: Introduction to Crowd Management. Springer (2021)
- B. Maury, S. Faure: Crowds in Equations. World Scientific Publishing (2018)
- B. S. Kerner: Breakdown in Traffic Networks. Springer (2017)
- E. Cristiani, B. Piccoli, A. Tosin: Multiscale modeling of pedestrian dynamics. Springer (2014)
- M. Treiber, A. Kesting: Traffic Flow Dynamics. Springer (2013)
- A. Schadschneider, D. Chowdhury, K. Nishinari: Stochastic Transport in Complex Systems. Elsevier (2011)
- B. S. Kerner: The Physics of Traffic. Springer (2004)
Reliability Engineering
- S. Bracke: Reliability Engineering. Springer (2024) - Technische Zuverlässigkeit. Springer (2022)
- A. Meyna et al.: Sicherheit und Zuverlässigkeit technischer Systeme. Carl Hanser (2023)
- S. Matzka: Künstliche Intelligenz in den Ingenieurwissenschaften. Springer (2021)
- Christiane Cocozza-Thivent: Processus stochastiques et fiabilité des systèmes. Springer (1997)
- Alain Villemeur: Sûreté de fonctionnement des systèmes industriels : fiabilité, facteurs humains, informatisation. Eyrolles (1988). Book in English
Automotive Engineering
- H. Winner et al.: Handbuch Assistiertes und Automatisiertes Fahren. Springer (2024)
- Robert Bosch GmbH (Hrsg.): Kraftfahrtechnisches Taschenbuch. Springer (2024)
- H. Winner et al.: Handbuch Fahrerassistenzsysteme. Springer (2015)
- K. Reif: Fahrstabilisierungssystem und Fahrerassistenzsysteme. Springer (2010)
Collective Dynamics is a diamond open-access multidisciplinary journal publishing research in the field of pedestrian dynamics, vehicular traffic, and other systems of self-driven particles or interacting agents.
The journal covers, but is not limited to, the following areas:
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Biological systems: social insects, animal groups, cell and bacterial migrations, swarm, flocking and schooling dynamics, …
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Non-living systems and active matter: swarm robotics, molecular motors, micro-swimmers, rods, interacting particle systems, …
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Complex systems, complex networks and their dynamics: multi-modal transportation networks, multi-agent systems, internet, epidemics, social networks, opinion formation, …
Further information are available here.
