PATREC Research

iMOVE

view all Projects

The TRavel, Environment and Kids (TREK) Study: 15 years on

This project aims to update and expand the TRavel, Environment and Kids study (TREK) conducted in Perth in 2005. It will investigate school walkability, parent- and student-reported individual, social and environmental factors influencing school transport modes, and latent demand for walking and cycling to school.
Fewer Australian children walk and bike ride to school than ever before. Increasing the prevalence of active school transport is a public health priority and would result in numerous health, environmental, and economic benefits. In Perth, WA, the declining rate of active school transport has been identified as a problem requiring multiple government agency responses to reverse the decline.

Schools and neighbourhoods with the greatest need for connectivity improvements, safety treatments and programs to address parental concerns, will be identified, as well as any other insights for increasing the rates of walking, riding, and use of other micromobility options to travel to school.

Find more information on iMOVE website:

more information

Smart bridge health monitoring and maintenance prediction

This project aims to investigate the feasibility of using an integrated package of IoT, computer vision, and machine learning technologies to support smart bridge health monitoring and prediction.
Integrated IoT, computer vision, and machine learning technologies offer a promising supplement to physical bridge health assessment particularly in remote regional contexts which can be costly, time consuming and unsafe to inspect. Conducting regular, efficient, and reliable bridge health monitoring is essential for the long-term protection of valuable road assets through timely maintenance responses.

The research from this project will produce a proof-of-concept to demonstrate the efficacy and feasibility of an integrated package of technologies for first-level bridge health screening and early warning system, reducing the need for traditional physical inspections and instrumentation.

The benefits of the project include contributing to reducing maintenance, operation costs and risk, and achieving a safe transport infrastructure network, ultimately, increasing productivity.

Find more information on iMOVE website:

Realtime model to estimate delays at traffic signals

This project will develop a pilot model that utilises secondary datasets (e.g. signal timing data) within Main Roads Western Australia to estimate overall delay at intersections in real-time.
Real-time information, especially delay time at intersections, is valuable for traffic operations but is not readily available and costly to procure. Existing data sources that Main Roads has access to do not currently provide this information at a useful level of accuracy.

Such a model would allow Main Roads to determine the delay at a network, intersection, or at an approach level, while not requiring any additional sensor equipment or expensive data licensing agreements. It would inform decisions relating to network operational strategies and road project development.

Find more information on iMOVE website:

Defining transport disadvantage in Perth

The provision of transport infrastructure and services plays a critical role in connecting communities to essential services, as well as to employment and social activities. A lack of access to transport can lead to disadvantage in many forms and can be influenced by many variables.
To better understand transport disadvantage in Greater Perth this project will involve a literature review and stakeholder interviews to identify and apply locally relevant indicators to guide the estimation of the extent, spatial distribution, and nature of transport disadvantage in the Greater Perth region.

Drawing on the findings, an overview of how transport disadvantage is affecting travel decisions will be provided. Recomendations for further action by all levels of government and other key service providers will be developed, with the aim of building upon existing approaches to address areas of need.

The recommendations will identify the potential for new and research-informed initiatives that builds upon existing approaches and local experience contributing to addressing the needs of the beneficiaries (i.e. transport users, governments and community).

Find more information on iMOVE website:

more information

Improving roundabout modelling using drone video analytics

This project proposes the development of evidence-based parameter estimation methods to improve Main Roads Western Australia’s roundabout modelling practice and operational guidelines by accounting for various local conditions such as geometry, topography, location type (residential, industrial, rural etc.), traffic mix, and seasonality, as well as driving behaviour. The data will be used to develop dedicated roundabout models for Aimsun at micro-, meso- and macroscopic levels.

Models play a vital role in supporting decision-making at both strategic and operational levels in the transport industry. In this project, we focus on roundabouts, where significant delays on arterial roads occur. Designers rely on traffic models to test design performance, so the quality of model predications directly affects the quality of roundabout design. Data is the foundation of modelling but conventional manual traffic surveys are deficient in both quality and quantity.

Although a wide range of sophisticated software tools for traffic modelling have been developed over the years, the lack of abundant high-quality data hinders model calibration, validation, and continuous development to account for changing driving behaviour and local conditions.

This project addresses both quality and quantity problems in traffic data by applying the latest drone video analytics technology developed by University of Western Australia (UWA) researchers to inform and improve roundabout modelling.

Find more information on iMOVE website: