Swiss Mobility System - Digital Twin

Project idea

To support research and policy making, we are creating a field-​specific Digital Twin of Switzerland and its interactions with neighbouring countries. The Digital Twin of the Swiss mobility system will use the data sets and models available in Switzerland. In the long run, it will not only make the unique role and contribution of the center to society visible, but it will also allow different groups at ETH and beyond to build on a high-quality open-source base for their individual and joint research.

We are currently developing an Open Digital Twin Platform for this purpose that enhances and supports Open Research Data (ORD) practices. 

Project background

The aim of the Mobility Digital Twin is to grant the possibility of studying interventions on mobility systems in a digital representation of the real system. This representation should be detailed enough for the purpose of the intervention being explored. 

The ability to display or visualize the real as well as simulated mobility systems (georeferenced trips, transit density, waiting time, etc.) is, per se, an important attribute of the Digital Twin as well. The Mobility system is characterized by a complex, multifaceted interplay of infrastructure, availability, and cost of mobility services, population and socioeconomic factors related to the population, special distribution of economic and recreational activity options, and involved commercial actors. Most of the interventions may influence different stakeholders in different ways, and having an instrument to properly comprehend the possible impact for actors across impacted fields, as well as the impact on population activity and level of service, is an important asset for decision-making and facilitating the participatory process. 

Some applications of the Mobility Digital Twin:

• Monitor and optimize traffic and services, 
• impact of changes in the transportation network, 
• evaluation of new services, 
• contingency measures for (un) planned disruptions, or
• transport-related emission and energy analysis.

Implementation

The CSFM collaborates with the Swiss Data Science Center (SDSC) ORD Engagement & Services Team to develop the first version of the Digital Twin since 2023. We have received funding support from swissuniversities Open Research Programm to bring together state-of-the-art ORD practices across domains to ensure an Open Digital Twin Platform that works beyond mobility.

The platform integrates some features that simplify the creation and application of digital twins: reproducibility and traceability are becoming more and more critical for the research community.

Why are we developing this tool?

The CSFM has been established as a competence center at ETH Zurich in 2021 with the mandate to promote collaboration between researchers, businesses, and stakeholders from the public administration.  Establishing a digital twin of the Swiss mobility system for experimenting with different development paths towards a sustainable and efficient mobility system is the center's main objective.