DLR Project VMo4Orte: Connected Mobility for Livable Cities

In the project "Connected Mobility for Livable Places", abbreviated as VMo4Orte, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) aims to develop solution components for a forward-looking transformation of the transportation system. To this end, scientists are developing new mobility concepts. These should be climate-friendly, competitive, demand-oriented, and close to the people on the ground. The researchers are supported by so-called practice partners.

These include transport companies, municipalities, and public institutions as well as companies in the mobility and logistics sector. They work together with the scientists from the very beginning and contribute requirements and experiences from their daily routines. The developed ideas and concepts are implemented as demonstration projects. The DLR funds the VMo4Orte project with a total of approximately 21 million euros over a period of three years. 19 institutes and facilities of the DLR are involved. The project is led by the DLR Institute of Transport Research in Berlin.

"In the future, we must think of mobility even more than before as a connected system and then implement it. Because mobility significantly influences how we design public spaces and infrastructure. Social participation and the consideration of the needs of all involved are the foundations for a mobility transition that is accepted by everyone. It is a crucial lever for making progress in climate protection, ensuring the future viability of our society, and securing the success of our economic location," emphasizes Prof. Dr.-Ing. Anke Kaysser-Pyzalla, Chairwoman of the DLR Executive Board.

He points to the DLR's expertise in road, rail, maritime, and air transport, as the only research institution in Germany. With comprehensive projects like VMo4Orte, they aim to utilize this portfolio to develop ideas and concepts for the mobility of the future and to show the way forward. In four subprojects, DLR researchers, in dialogue with the economy, politics, administration, and society, investigate the following focal points:

City and Suburban Areas

The first subproject develops mobility offerings to make passenger and goods transport in cities and suburban areas more sustainable. The project team places particular importance on designing a suitable and sustainable mix for the specific local situation. This means that the offering must meet mobility needs and be attractive both economically and ecologically. New ideas for more sustainable transport of goods on the last mile are another aspect of the first subproject. This includes, for example, parcel deliveries. One approach involves smaller, local interim storage facilities, so-called "micro depots", from where smaller, quieter, and alternatively powered vehicles could be used.

Additionally, the researchers are investigating how the repurposing of areas in urban districts can support climate-friendly mobility and create places with high quality of stay. Demonstration projects include the redesign of the "Lausitzer Platz" neighborhood in Berlin and a concept for establishing a citywide network of micro depots, also in Berlin.

Intermodal Networks and Nodes

Transport networks and nodes are at the heart of the second subproject. In the future, they should be designed and interconnected in a way that makes them more attractive for users. A key solution approach is the clever and reliable combination of multiple means of transport – i.e., "intermodal" offerings. The DLR scientists are investigating, among other things, the infrastructure needed for intermodal concepts.

Using a "digital twin" of Cologne Central Station, they aim to capture all relevant traffic flows of this hub and integrate them into the overall German transport network. Digital twins represent very complex systems on a computer. This allows simulations of how changes in processes and infrastructure would affect the overall system without impacting reality.

Economically Sustainable Mobility

A focal point of the third subproject is innovative business models that promote climate-friendly mobility. Specifically, DLR researchers investigate how best to establish these ideas and what political framework conditions are necessary. One example is the introduction of alternative fuels at transport hubs such as airports. Alternative fuels include hydrogen, which is produced using renewable energy. It can either be used directly as an energy carrier or serve as a starting product to produce mainly liquid fuels that can be used in various industrial and mobility sectors.

The third subproject also examines demand-oriented concepts for public transport, such as small buses that can be used on demand. The findings are applied in projects for the introduction of alternative fuels at Hamburg Airport and the launch of new mobility offerings in public transport in the regions of Braunschweig and Rheinland.

Vehicle Concepts for Livable Places

The fourth subproject of VMo4Orte deals with the development of forward-looking vehicle concepts for road and rail – i.e., how the vehicles themselves are built and designed. Innovative vehicles that are as automated, flexible, and electric as possible play an important role. Examples include "mover" concepts for the transport of passengers and goods as well as small and lightweight electric vehicles. The DLR researchers particularly emphasize the aspects of zero emissions, automation, as well as alignment with the needs of users and the neighborhoods in which they are used. This also includes considerations of ecological sustainability and circular economy in production, use, and disposal.

Here, DLR incorporates its already existing and prototypically implemented vehicle concepts such as the U-Shift. It combines a U-shaped, electrically powered, automated driving unit with capsules for the transport of passengers and goods. Innovative concepts for rail transport are also being considered with the future autonomously driving rail bus "Next Generation Train – Taxi" (NGT – Taxi).