DISpATch: Digital twin for synchromodal transport (R-9839)

The DISpATch project will focus on organizational and technical enablers for seamless synchromodal transport services in Flanders. Given the real-time dynamics and flexible nature of synchromodal transport, different actors and transport modalities need to work together and adapt according to unexpected events as well as contextual information that affect transport processes. These events and contextual information can be positive or negative perturbations that shape freight movement and transport mode selection, such as newly incoming orders, transport delays, cancellations, collaborative bundling opportunities, accidents, water levels, strikes and many more. We will develop a platform represented by a Digital Twin component in order to provide a testbed for synchromodal opportunities within a risk-free environment. A Digital Twin is a virtual environment that mirrors the real physical system and its processes by updating its virtual real-time status from various sources of information regarding weather forecasts, congestion levels, positions of assets (barges, trains, trucks) and their ongoing working conditions. By means of the digital twin, effects of sensor technology and information exchange can be studied in combination with physical flows. Such a risk free environment allows for analysis and evaluation of triggering events (new orders, disruptions, delays…) which induce physical movements. It will measure the real-time synchromodal complexity and evaluate various decisions and offer alternatives by making use of mathematical, simulation and machine learning models.

Keywords:Synchromodal transport

Disciplines:Transport planning, Logistics and supply chain management

Project type:Collaboration project