Although urban congestion may not have the same stranglehold on cities in Nebraska as it does in metropolitan areas like New York and Los Angeles, getting around efficiently remains a priority for almost everyone.
Jon Petersen, head of data science for aviation at Uber Technologies, will give a talk on “The Dawn of Urban Aerial Ridesharing,” March 29. His presentation will take place 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the Howard L. Hawks Hall, room 231.
Dr. Jennifer Ryan, chair and Ron and Carol Cope Professor of Supply Chain Management and Analytics, said the presentation is beneficial to anyone wanting a look into the crystal ball of modern transportation.
“Jon plans to discuss the business model and technology behind Uber Air, which is a flying car ride-sharing service sometimes referred to as a flying taxi service, potentially involving both manned and unmanned vehicles,” Ryan said. “He will show how Uber is using data science and optimization technologies, along with advances in areas such as vehicle design, batteries, ride-sharing platforms and air traffic management, to build the Uber Air network.”
Petersen previously worked with airline planning and operations, and now looks at optimizing transportation, including machine learning models for on-demand urban aerial ridesharing. His presentation focuses on the emergence of the new transportation ecosystem already being designed by Uber Technologies.
“This is a great opportunity to learn about a unique application of data science, including machine learning and artificial intelligence, and analytics techniques in the sharing economy,” Ryan said. “Our faculty in the Department of Supply Chain Management and Analytics conduct research and teach courses in areas of data analytics, optimization and transportation, so this topic is of great interest.”
She explained topics such as deciding where to locate departure and landing sites for Uber Air, as well as decisions related to routing vehicles and demand management, relate tangibly to anyone on campus.
“For example, should services be offered on-demand or on a scheduled basis? Researchers who want to learn about new methods of transportation and new applications of data science in the transportation industry, or students who want to learn how data science is driving innovation and the development of new business models will all find something interesting,” said Ryan.
Petersen holds a doctorate in operations research from Georgia Tech. A meet and greet at 10 a.m. precedes his presentation.
To learn more about the Department of Supply Chain Management and Analytics – including its undergraduate and graduate programs in both supply chain management and business analytics, visit here.
