Research

uSMART uses agent-based modeling, life cycle assessments, system dynamics, big data analytics, and GIS to study the environmental implications of emerging technologies from the systems perspective. The general research interests include energy-water nexus, emerging transportation systems, energy policy, and urban sustainability. Current ongoing projects are summarized below.

Environmental benefits of smart transportation and shared mobility

The recent development of information and computational technologies is transitioning our transportation system. The transportation sector is facing three revolutions: shared mobility, connected and automated vehicles, and vehicle electrification. We use large scale real world data to study how the three revolutions individually or collectively impact the sustainability of the transportation systems. Specifically, we analyze the potential environmental benefits of emerging smart transportation systems such as ride sharing, autonomous vehicles, vehicle to infrastructure connections, and mulit-model transportation systems to inform policy and decision making.

Key publications:

Ride sharing using autonomous vehicles:
- Lokhandwala, M., Cai, H., (2018) “Dynamic Ride Sharing using Traditional Taxis and Shared Autonomous Taxis: A Case Study of NYC”, Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies, 97:45-60
Station-based and dockless bikesharing:
- Luo, H., Kou, Z., Zhao, F., Cai, H. (2019) “Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Station-based and Dock-less Bike Sharing Systems”, Resources, Conservation & Recycling, 146:180-189
- Luo, H., Zhao, F., Chen, W., Cai, H., (2020) “Optimizing bike sharing systems from the life cycle greenhouse gas emissions perspective”, Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies, 117: 102705
- Kou, Z., Wang, X., Chiu, A., Cai, H. (2020) “Quantifying the Environmental Benefits of Bike Share Systems”, Resources, Conservation & Recycling, 153:1045347
Electric vehicles:
- Cai, H, Xu, M. (2013) “Greenhouse Gas Implications of Fleet Electrification based on Big Data-Informed Individual Travel Patterns”. Environmental Science and Technology, 47(16): 9035-9043.

"Big-Data" informed infrastructure development

GPS devices, smart phone apps, smart cards, and other various types of sensors have significantly improved our ability to track how people interact with each other and with the urban infrastructure. We use these data to inform infrastructure development for emerging systems (e.g. identify where to build charging stations to better match charging infrastructure with charging demands).

Key publications:

Charging station siting for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles
- Cai, H., Jia, X., Chiu, A., Hu, X., Xu, M. (2014) “Siting Public Electric Vehicle Charging Stations using Big-Data Informed Travel Patterns”, Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 33:39-46.
- Shahraki, N., Cai, H.*, Turkay, M., Xu, M. (2015) “Optimization of Public Charging Station Locations based on Big-Data Informed Travel Patterns”, Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 41:165-176
Charging station siting for shared autonomous electric vehicles
- Lokhandwala, M., Cai, H., (2020) “Siting Charging Stations Considering Increasing Adoption of Electric Vehicles, Ride Sharing and Autonomous Driving using Simulation Optimization”, Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 80:102231

Sustainable consumption

Our daily environmental footprints are locked in at the moment we make purchase decisions. We use innovative approaches to collect consumer decision making data and study how product sustainability information can be best communicated to the consumers.

Key publications:

Ecolabels:
- Song, L., Lim, Y., Chang, P., Guo, Y., Zhang, M., Wang, X., Yu, X., Lehto, M., Cai, H. (2019) “Ecolabel’s Role in Informing Sustainable Consumption: A Naturalistic Decision Making Study”, Journal of Cleaner Production, 218:685-695
Dietary/food choices:
- Salazar, M. B., Cai, H., Bailey, R., Huang, J.-Y., (2019) “Defining nutritionally and environmentally healthy dietary choices of omega-3 fatty acids”, Journal of Cleaner Production, 228(10):1025-1033
- Chapa, J., Salazar, M. B., Kipp, S., Cai, H., Huang, J.-Y., (2019) “A Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Fresh Imported and Frozen Domestic Organic Blueberries Consumed in Indiana”, Journal of Cleaner Production, 217:716-723