Analysis of Potential Demand of On-Demand Urban Air Mobility Via Agent-Based Simulation
Name
Chen_kexinc_SM_CEE_2022.pdf
Description
Thesis PDF
Size
3.4 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
d06ff49218b09b0e59b1755a6a6e5130
Author(s)
Chen, Kexin
Advisor(s)
Ben-Akiva, Moshe E.
Shamshiripour, Ali
Date Issued
May 2022
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
This thesis analyzes the potential demand of Urban Air Mobility (UAM) by performing agent-based simulation. The comprehensive UAM model proposed by this thesis combines demand, supply, and their interactions at fine spatial and temporal levels. It has been implemented in the state-of-the-art mobility simulation platform, SimMobility, and includes the following considerations: (i) demand-centric vertiport placements and realistic vertiport capacity generation; (ii) explicit service operations that include rebalancing, charging and transition activities at vertiports; (iii) a behaviorally sound decision-making process capturing the switching behaviors. Simulations of at-launch, near-term and long-term scenarios, varying in capacity, accessibility, and pricing constraints, are performed for two real U.S. cities, along with the uncertainties. The results show that UAM presents a niche market, with only a penetration rate of 1.45% to 1.81% even in the long-term scenario for the two cities studied. Furthermore, the potential UAM users are primarily high-income and car-oriented, indicating equity issues. Work and drive-alone trips have the highest penetration rate, and short-range trips constitute the majority of the UAM potential demand. Lastly, capacity, accessibility, and pricing show significant impacts on demand, which are city-specific effects. This thesis contributes to the literature by analyzing the impacts of UAM on mobility pattern, specifically focusing on the potential market size and demand characteristics under various supply configurations, allowing policymakers and the industry to make informed decisions regarding UAM market diffusion.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Terms of Use
In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
Copyright MIT
Persistent DSpace Link
