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In this paper, we present a discrete-time networked SEIR model using population flow, its derivation, and assumptions under which this model is well defined. We identify properties of the system’s equilibria, namely the healthy states. We show that the set of healthy states is asymptotically stable, and that the value of the equilibria becomes equal across all sub-populations as a result of the network flow model. Furthermore, we explore closed-loop feedback control of the system by limiting flow between sub-populations as a function of the current infected states. These results are illustrated via simulation based on flight traffic between major airports in the United States. We find that a flow restriction strategy combined with a vaccine roll-out significantly reduces the total number of infections over the course of an epidemic, given that the initial flow restriction response is not delayed. 

The novel coronavirus responsible for COVID-19 was first identified in Hubei Province, China in December, 2019. Within a matter of months the virus had spread and become a global pandemic. In addition to international air travel, local travel (e.g. by passenger car) contributes to the geographic spread of COVID-19. We modify the common susceptible-exposed-infectious-removed (SEIR) virus spread model and investigate the extent to which short-term travel associated with driving influences the spread of the virus. We consider the case study of the US state of Minnesota, and calibrated the proposed model with travel and viral spread data. Using our modified SEIR model that considers local short-term travel, we are able to better explain the virus spread than using the long-term travel SEIR model. Short-term travel associated with driving is predicted to be a significant contributor to the historical and future spread of COVID-19. The calibrated model also predicts the proportion of infections that were detected. We find that if driving trips remain at current levels, a substantial increase in COVID-19 cases may be observed in Minnesota, while decreasing intrastate travel could help contain the virus spread. 

In this paper we present a deterministic discrete-time networked SEIR model that includes a number of transportation networks, and present assumptions under which it is well defined. We analyze the limiting behavior of the model and present necessary and sufficient conditions for estimating the spreading parameters from data. We illustrate these results via simulation and with real COVID-19 data from the Northeast United States, integrating transportation data into the results. 

Driver assist features such as adaptive cruise control (ACC) and highway assistants are becoming increasingly prevalent on commercially available vehicles. These systems are typically designed for safety and rider comfort. However, these systems are often not designed with the quality of the overall traffic flow in mind. For such a system to be beneficial to the traffic flow, it must be string stable and minimize the inter-vehicle spacing to maximize throughput, while still being safe. We propose a methodology to select autonomous driving system parameters that are both safe and string stable using the existing control framework already implemented on commercially available ACC vehicles. Optimal parameter values are selected via model-based optimization for an example highway assistant controller with path planning. 

New mobility concepts are at the forefront of research and innovation in smart cities. The introduction of connected and autonomous vehicles enables new possibilities in vehicle routing. Specifically, knowing the origin and destination of each agent in the network can allow for real-time routing of the vehicles to optimize network performance. However, this relies on individual vehicles being "altruistic" i.e., being willing to accept an alternative non-preferred route in order to achieve a network-level performance goal. In this work, we conduct a study to compare different levels of agent altruism and the resulting effect on the network-level traffic performance. Specifically, this study compares the effects of different underlying urban structures on the overall network performance, and investigates which characteristics of the network make it possible to realize routing improvements using a decentralized optimization router. The main finding is that, with increased vehicle altruism, it is possible to balance traffic flow among the links of the network. We show evidence that the decentralized optimization router is more effective with networks of high load while we study the influence of cities characteristics, in particular: networks with a higher number of nodes (intersections) or edges (roads) per unit area allow for more possible alternate routes, and thus higher potential to improve network performance.