The Project started on 01.09.2025 and ends on 31.08.2027
Projeckt title: Evaluating the Impact and Integration of Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) in Romania and Moldova: A Simulation and User-Centered Approach
This work was supported by a grant of the Ministry of Research, Innovation, and Digitization, CNCS – UEFISCDI, project number PN-IV-PCB-RO-MD-2024-0370, within PNCDI IV.
Abstract
The AVSIM project aims to strengthen bilateral research collaboration between Romania and the Republic of Moldova by organizing 19 research internships spanning a total of 402 days. Six researchers from the Technical University of Moldova (UTM) in Chișinău will work with their counterparts at Transilvania University in Brașov. Their joint research will focus on investigating the impact of autonomous vehicles (AVs) on urban traffic systems in Brașov, Romania, and Chișinău, Moldova, using an AI-automated system for collecting traffic data and simulation-based dynamic traffic assignment (DTA). The project aims to evaluate current traffic conditions, simulate various levels of AV integration, and analyze the effects on travel time, road capacity, and safety. It also assesses public acceptance of AVs, identifying factors that influence perceptions and willingness to adopt the technology, with data gathered from public surveys and focus groups. The results will be materialized in a strategic roadmap for the gradual integration of AVs into the transport systems of Brașov and Chișinău, combining strategic recommendations for AV deployment with a user-centered approach to ensure public acceptance and alignment with local needs.