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Profile of a Safety and Security Researcher: Marjan Hagenzieker

Despite being a highly-regarded expert in the field of traffic safety and a full-time professor at TU Delft, Marjan Hagenzieker is the first to admit that she would never have guessed her professional position today if you had asked her during her student life as a graduate of experimental psychology from Leiden University. Her atypical journey in academia took her to parttime residency in the mountains of Norway and back to the Lowlands. Her part-time position at the Norwegian Centre of Transport Research TØI ended recently. “I gained much from my time there, not just fluent Norwegian, but also a good network of researchers and friends. It was a great place to live and work, but I see my colleagues less since COVID introduced popular work-from-home habits. I miss the interaction.” Marjan is a pioneer of research into automated driving systems from the cyclist’s perspective. Much to the amusement of her friends and colleagues in Norway, Marjan is not an avid cyclist. “Yes, I know it’s quite funny. I’m a cyclist expert who doesn’t like to cycle! I prefer to walk and enjoy the pace of walking and taking in my environment. I use my bike for convenience. Luckily, I don’t need to be a cycling fanatic to be an expert in my field.” “In traffic, I am a cautious driver and cyclist. I’m very risk-aversive, and I have a fear of heights. Maybe that’s why I came to Norway. To challenge myself with all these mountains! I’m certainly not a daredevil, except perhaps in my mind! I do have an innate drive to explore within my field. So, in the past years, I have been delving into research on the automated vehicle: Will it make traffic safer? What does it mean for the driver and, even more so, what about other road users, i.e. cyclists and pedestrians? These questions were largely unexplored territory back in 2016, and now it’s more common to include other road users in research rather than the traditional narrative of the driver. “Looking back, it might look like coincidences led me here. I chose elective courses at Delft University during my Master’s because this was where people were actually making things (as opposed to my research field, which was further away from real-life applications). You wouldn’t typically find a psychology student in those subjects back then. And there were fewer women in that environment. I wanted to try something different and was a bit rebellious. Another factor was the high unemployment rate in the 1980s, especially for psychologists. I spotted a vacancy for a temporary job at SWOV (Institute for Road Safety Research) in the newspaper. The position required a social and behavioural sciences background, and I applied even though it was temporary. I got the job and ended up staying for many years.” A combination of curiosity and daring paved the way for Marjan’s professional journey rather than a string of coincidences. “Now, I have only been a professor for nearly ten years, which is not long for someone my age. But my career was not preplanned; becoming a professor sort of came out of the blue. I made some decisions that worked out. But it still feels like it all happened naturally. I am really enjoying finding my place on this journey. Marjan Hagenzieker is professor at TU Delft. She graduated in experimental psychology and received her Doctorate (PhD) at Leiden University. Her research and education activities focus on the road safety effects of the transport system, with particular interest in road user behaviour aspects. Research topics include distraction in traffic, the safety of vulnerable road users (e.g. elderly, bicyclists), road user interactions with road infrastructure, invehicle technology, and automated driving systems. text Helen Hartmann illustration De Zagerij Download article

A Snapshot of Safety and Security in a Changing World

A drawn impression of some of the complex safety & security challenges that the world faces. illustration Lot Bakker / LOT of Ilustrations Download drawing

Editorial

An editorial for the magazine progreSSIon; Safety & Security in a Changing World by Aukje Hassoldt, dean of the TU Delft Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management and chair of the supervisory board of the TU Delft Safety & Security Institute. Download article In today’s world, safety & security are more important than ever, with both fields dominating the newspapers. Therefore, with great pleasure, I present to you this magazine, ‘progreSSIon’. To celebrate 10 years of TU Delft Safety & Security Institute , it presents a sample of the many innovative activities at TU Delft within the extensive fields of safety & security. Delft University of Technology has a long and strong history of research in the fields of safety & security. Still, it has never before been presented quite like in this magazine. In addition, we have added insights from some of our partners to broaden the perspective. In my 15+ years of experience in safety & security, I observed that a lot can still be obtained by combining these fields. The safety world is still somewhat disconnected from the security world and vice versa, although many developments are comparable, and many insights could be shared. TU Delft researchers are working on a more integral approach. Today’s grand challenges can no longer be solved with a single perspective or approach. They have a strong technological component and take place in a complex setting with many stakeholders, with different values at stake and different views on the world. That is why a systems approach to safety & security is needed, which is also what the Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management , coordinator of TU Delft Safety & Security Institute, adds to these important research fields. Cooperation is key, which the cross-faculty approach of TU Delft Safety & Security Institute aims to establish. This is also illustrated by this magazine, showcasing the work of researchers from many different disciplines and TU Delft faculties. I hope this magazine brings you inspiration and new insights into the critical, challenging and fascinating world of safety & security. Aukje Hassoldt Dean of the Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management Delft University of Technology

All in for Safety & Security

Wanting to feel as safe as possible, society is averse to unwanted events. Whether they are attributable to incidents (safety) or malicious intent (security), unwanted events can be caused by technical imperfections, (unintended) human actions, or a combination of factors. Promoting safety & security therefore is an area of research that greatly benefits from interdisciplinary collaboration between technical, social, and humanities disciplines. New developments must also be swiftly and skilfully translatable into practice, in which various public organisations and government institutions play a significant role. We posed five questions to some of these partners of the TU Delft Safety & Security Institute, focusing on their perspectives and insights in the field.

Safety & Security in a Transport Sector on the Move

How do you keep transportation safe despite, or perhaps with, increasing automation and AI (Artificial Intelligence) usage? How do you balance safety against the need to shift focus to sustainability? What new engineering approaches are needed to deal with the rapid developments in the transportation sector? We talked to four TU Delft researchers that investigate different modes of transport.

TU Delft Safety & Security Institute - An Institute Building Bridges

Accidents, geopolitical tensions, and an escalating climate crisis – these are only some of the challenges that the TU Delft Safety & Security Institute has been addressing for a decade now. Do the somewhat technology-driven efforts amount to a drop in the ocean, or to a crucial building block? The current director, Behnam Taebi, and his predecessor, Pieter van Gelder, look back and towards the future.

Personal Story of a Safety & Security Researcher: Britte Bouchaut

Britte Bouchaut is Assistant Professor at the Safety & Security Science group at TU Delft. Her research focuses on the ethics of safety in Chemistry and Biotechnology and how we can work towards safer and more sustainable industries using Safe (and sustainable)-by-Design and Responsible Research and Innovation.

Engineering Human Security

We face exacerbating climate change. Excessive precipitation and heat waves will become more frequent in the coming decades. These could lead to shortages of food, water and energy and subsequently to conflicts and displacement. By 2030, hundreds of millions of people could be leaving their homes searching for (more) human security. These social disruptions could further reduce our resilience to climate change. TU Delft’s new Climate Safety & Security Centre (CASS), led by Behnam Taebi , will address this human security challenge in times of climate change, focusing on the role of technology. For instance, modern waterworks can be vulnerable to cyberattacks, and new technologies allow us to manipulate cloud formation on a large scale. Each technology brings both opportunities and risks. These must be considered from the outset in the development and application of technology, with attention to the relevant social and ethical issues. Download image spread Behnam Taebi is Full Professor of Energy & Climate Ethics at the Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management.

Profile of a Safety and Security Researcher: Zeki Erkin

During his Bachelor’s and Master’s at the Istanbul University of Technology, Zeki Erkin did what he loved most, in his own words, he was “playing with numbers and number theory. My BA end-of-year project was about zero-knowledge proofs and secret sharing, two concepts that were quite unusual and not much in practice. I was also interested in steganography, and the idea of hiding communication from the naked eye. The project covered subjects of secrecy, trust and sharing, and I loved it. It certainly paved the way for my work in security and privacy.” While looking for my PhD subject I came across Professor Inald Lagendijk, who was already combining security and privacy in his work. It was a perfect match. From my perspective as a researcher looking into the different components of private and secure communication, I found myself in a rich environment of many variants at TU Delft. “All my life, I really cared about the individual’s rights. The right to privacy is contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and everyone agrees that individual personal privacy and full control of it is essential. But in the face of a society dependent on high-density information technology and electronic media, it is becoming increasingly difficult to implement this human right in digital systems. Cryptography offers a way to protect sensitive data and protect individual privacy.” “Back in 2002, when I was a computer scientist, the subject of privacy was not a point of major concern in business. The emphasis was on security, especially concerning products or services. But even then, two decades ago, I already believed it was our role as scientists to provide the tools and means in digital systems for everyone to be able to protect their privacy. Because if we weren’t going to do this on behalf of citizens, then who would?” “In the last ten years, there have been many changes in the field. Privacy has been promoted from lesser status as an add-on workshop at security conferences, to the headliner at privacy conferences and symposiums. The initial resistance that I often faced in getting funding for our research, was linked to the elevated status of digital security at the time. When a manager suggested that I switch subjects to get grants and apply to the security field “because privacy isn’t getting you anywhere”, I strongly disagreed! Research needs to look further and aim for the betterment of society. We should avoid acting with an ‘industry mindset’ which is short-term oriented. Let’s look at 5 or ten or fifteen-year projects. I think long-term academic projects are vital, but who will do it?” In 2018 there was a light at the end of the tunnel and that light was called GDPR. The EU recognised an individual right to control one’s own data. People started to take notice of privacy. Compliance was the buzzword of the year. But basic compliance was not enough. The big change was when major companies realised they could collect and analyse data if they collaborated using cryptography. “It’s a very positive sign that after two decades, our privacy research is paying off.” Zeki believes an effective framework for security and privacy requires three things; The first is education and awareness of risks and rights, starting with basic training in privacy and security knowledge for every child at school. Secondly, authorities need to set solid laws and regulations in place. “Thirdly, we need technical solutions, but companies are still somewhat reluctant and unwilling to be the first to take the leap because privacy protection requires overhead. And this is where I can play my part, together with colleagues worldwide." Download article Zeki Erkin is an associate professor in the Cyber Security Group at TU Delft. His research is on Privacy Enhancing Technologies, particularly on Computational Privacy. He is in the steering Committee of Cyber Security Next Generation (CSng) and vice-chair for ACCSS. text Helen Hartmann illustration De Zagerij Download article

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Tracing ancient settlements in Colombia with remote sensing

A team of the LDE alliance (Leiden University, TU Delft, and Erasmus University Rotterdam) asked whether it might be possible to search for signs of ancient settlements in the jungle with affordable remote sensing techniques. For an expedition in a Colombian dense forest, the team, including remote sensing expert Felix Dahle of TU Delft, joined forces with archaeologists and drone experts from Colombia. In mountainous forests, drones provide affordable access to areas that would otherwise be unreachable from the ground. A LiDAR laser scanner already proved its value in coastal observation . The big question was whether LiDAR could bypass the many treetops. Trees reflect the laser, so it was crucial to fly close so it found its way through the foliage. The team mounted a highly portable LiDAR laser scanner to a drone and went on expedition nearby ancient terraces of the Tairona culture in the Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta. “We had to find the sweet spot. Close to the archaeological sites and still secure above the canopy”, says Felix Dahle. And it passed the test. The LiDAR laser scanner create a point cloud and a detailed 3D model of the landscape. “We were able to detect ancient terraces in the jungle. We discovered that we can scan through the forest when it is not too dense, but some areas remained unfathomable. We could also distinguish several types of vegetation, which might be of great use too to find undiscovered archaeological sites.”

Kwartetspel maakt seksisme bij politie bespreekbaar

IO alumnus Noortje Kwakernaak bezocht twee politiekantoren om er de rol van vrouwelijke agenten te onderzoeken. Ze merkte dat er wel eens sprake was van grove en seksistische humor. Om spelers over deze grappen te laten reflecteren, en misschien gedrag te veranderen, ontwikkelde ze een kwartetspel.

What trees teach us about sustainable production of materials

Trees are excellent teachers when it comes to making materials for load-bearing structures with as little resources and energy as possible. One of their secrets? When a tree grows, the direction of the wood grain adapts itself to fit the load that part of the tree is going to bear.

Exhale Sluitingsweek: A week of free events to say goodbye to Exhale and cosy up for Winter

De allerlaatste Exhale Week vindt plaats van 25 november tot 1 december en staat volledig in het teken van afscheid nemen van Exhale en het omarmen van de winter.

TIL student Laura Drechsel wins Q-Park thesis award

TIL student Laura Drechsel wins the 2024 Q-Park Student Award with her thesis called: Stories of Aging and Access - Exploring capabilities and challenges of accessibility for urban elderly through microstories. Her award-winning thesis can be found here .

TU Delft jointly wins in XPRIZE Rainforest competition in Brazil

TU Delft jointly wins in the XPRIZE Rainforest competition in the Amazon, Brazil Imagine using rapid and autonomous robot technology for research into the green and humid lungs of our planet; our global rainforests. Drones that autonomously deploy eDNA samplers and canopy rafts uncover the rich biodiversity of these complex ecosystems while revealing the effects of human activity on nature and climate change. On November 15, 2024, after five years of intensive research and competition, the ETHBiodivX team, which included TU Delft Aerospace researchers Salua Hamaza and Georg Strunck, achieved an outstanding milestone: winning the XPRIZE Rainforest Bonus Prize for outstanding effort in co-developing inclusive technology for nature conservation. The goal: create automated technology and methods to gain near real-time insights about biodiversity – providing necessary data that can inform conservation action and policy, support sustainable bioeconomies, and empower Indigenous Peoples and local communities who are the primary protectors and knowledge holders of the planet’s tropical rainforests. The ETHBiodivX team, made of experts in Robotics, eDNA, and Data Insights, is tackling the massive challenge of automating and streamlining the way we monitor ecosystems. Leading the Robotics division, a collaboration between TU Delft’s Prof. Salua Hamaza, ETH Zurich’s Prof. Stefano Mintchev and Aarhus University’s Profs. Claus Melvad and Toke Thomas Høye, is developing cutting-edge robotic solutions to gather ecology and biology data autonomously. “We faced the immense challenge of deploying robots in the wild -- and not just any outdoor environment but one of the most demanding and uncharted: the wet rainforests. This required extraordinary efforts to ensure robustness and reliability, pushing the boundaries of what the hardware could achieve for autonomous data collection of images, sounds, and eDNA, in the Amazon” says prof. Hamaza. “Ultimately, this technology will be available to Indigenous communities as a tool to better understand the forest's ongoing changes in biodiversity, which provide essential resources as food and shelter to the locals.” . . . .

Moving the Closet

You simply cannot miss it, it is big and magenta: the Pink Closet . On 12 November 2024 the Pink Closet will head to the Main Hall of the TU Delft Library for the first time! The Pink Closet will take its place at the Nook, where it will feature as part of the Studium Generale programme on loneliness. More information on events that coincide with and incorporate the Pink Closet at TU Delft Library will soon be available on the website of Studium Generale .

Green ammonia remains a challenge, but researchers make significant progress

The production of ammonia, essential for fertiliser production, is responsible for almost 1.5% of global carbon emissions. This needs to be greener, which is why researchers have been looking for sustainable alternatives for years.

"Measuring brain activity through the skull with ultrasound opens new doors"

PhD Candidate Rick Waasdorp is looking for ways to correct the distortion caused by the skull when using Ultrasound technology. ‘’My goal is to develop an adaptive method for skull corrections that automatically measures the skull of new patients.’’

NWO funding for flexible power demand in electrically driven industry

NWO is funding two projects to explore ways to make the power demand of industry more flexible, allowing it to better align with future energy supplies. One of these projects, “DEFLAME,” is led by Machteld van den Broek from TU Delft.

Students Amos Yusuf, Mick Dam & Bas Brouwer winners of Mekel Prize 2024

Master students Amos Yusuf, from the ME faculty (Mick Dam, from the EEMCS faculty and graduate Bas Brouwer have won the Mekel Prize 2024 for the best extra scientific activity at TU Delft: the development of an initiative that brings master students into the classroom teaching sciences to the younger generations. The prize was ceremonially awarded by prof Tim van den Hagen on 13 November after the Van Hasselt Lecture at the Prinsenhof, Delft. They received a statue of Professor Jan Mekel and 1.500,- to spend on their project. Insights into climate change are being openly doubted. Funding for important educational efforts and research are being withdrawn. Short clips – so called “reels” – on Youtube and TikTok threaten to simplify complex political and social problems. AI fakes befuddle what is true and what is not. The voices of science that contribute to those discussion with modesty, careful argument and scepticism, are drowned in noise. This poses a threat for universities like TU Delft, who strive to increase student numbers, who benefit from diverse student populations and aim to pass on their knowledge and scientific virtues to the next generation. It is, therefore, alarming that student enrolments to Bachelor and Master Programs at TU Delft have declined in the past year. Students in front of the class The project is aimed to make the sciences more appealing to the next generation. They have identified the problem that students tend miss out on the opportunity of entering a higher education trajectory in the Beta sciences – because they have a wrong picture of such education. In their mind, they depict it as boring and dry. In his pilot lecture at the Stanislas VMBO in Delft, Amos Yusuf has successfully challenged this image. He shared his enthusiasm for the field of robotics and presented himself as a positive role model to the pupils. And in return the excitement of the high school students is palpable in the videos and pictures from the day. The spark of science fills their eyes. Bas Brouwer Mick Dam are the founders of NUVO – the platform that facilitates the engagement of Master Students in high school education in Delft Their efforts offer TU Delft Master Students a valuable learning moment: By sharing insights from their fields with pupils at high school in an educational setting, our students can find identify their own misunderstandings of their subject, learn to speak in front of non-scientific audiences and peak into education as a work field they themselves might not have considered. An extraordinary commitment According to the Mekel jury, the project scored well on all the criteria (risk mitigation, inclusiveness, transparency and societal relevance). However, it was the extraordinary commitment of Amos who was fully immersed during his Master Project and the efforts of Brouwer and Dam that brought together teaching and research which is integral to academic culture that made the project stand out. About the Mekel Prize The Mekel Prize will be awarded to the most socially responsible research project or extra-scientific activity (e.g. founding of an NGO or organization, an initiative or realization of an event or other impactful project) by an employee or group of employees of TU Delft – projects that showcase in an outstanding fashion that they have been committed from the beginning to relevant moral and societal values and have been aware of and tried to mitigate as much as possible in innovative ways the risks involved in their research. The award recognizes such efforts and wants to encourage the responsible development of science and technology at TU Delft in the future. For furthermore information About the project: https://www.de-nuvo.nl/video-robotica-pilot/ About the Mekel Prize: https://www.tudelft.nl/en/tpm/our-faculty/departments/values-technology-and-innovation/sections/ethics-philosophy-of-technology/mekel-prize

The ENHANCE Diversity Seed Fund

Are you a student at TU Delft or another ENHANCE university with a passion for promoting diversity and inclusion? The ENHANCE Diversity Seed Fund is your chance to turn that passion into action. ENHANCE provides funding to support innovative, student-led projects that address key challenges related to inclusion and diversity within our academic communities. Key Details: Funding Available: Up to 1500 Euros per project in the 1st round! Eligibility: Students from ENHANCE member universities. Staff can also join student-led initiatives. Application Deadline: 8 January 2025. More information: Join the online Information Event on the 26 November 2024 16:00-17:00 CET on Zoom . More information: enhanceuniversity.eu/diversity/diversityseedfund/

New catheter technology promises safer and more efficient treatment of blood vessels

Each year, more than 200 million catheters are used worldwide to treat vascular diseases, including heart disease and artery stenosis. When navigating into blood vessels, friction between the catheter and the vessel wall can cause major complications. With a new innovative catheter technology, Mostafa Atalla and colleagues can change the friction from having grip to completely slippery with the flick of a switch. Their design improves the safety and efficiency of endovascular procedures. The findings have been published in IEEE. Catheter with variable friction The prototype of the new catheter features advanced friction control modules to precisely control the friction between the catheter and the vessel wall. The friction is modulated via ultrasonic vibrations, which overpressure the thin fluid layer. This innovative variable friction technology makes it possible to switch between low friction for smooth navigation through the vessel and high friction for optimal stability during the procedure. In a proof-of-concept, Atalla and his team show that the prototype significantly reduces friction, averaging 60% on rigid surfaces and 11% on soft surfaces. Experiments on animal aortic tissue confirm the promising results of this technology and its potential for medical applications. Fully assembled catheters The researchers tested the prototype during friction experiments on different tissue types. They are also investigating how the technology can be applied to other procedures, such as bowel interventions. More information Publicatie DOI : 10.1109/TMRB.2024.3464672 Toward Variable-Friction Catheters Using Ultrasonic Lubrication | IEEE Journals & Magazine | IEEE Xplore Mostafa Atalla: m.a.a.atalla@tudelft.nl Aimee Sakes: a.sakes@tudelft.nl Michaël Wiertlewski: m.wiertlewski@tudelft.nl Would you like to know more and/or attend a demonstration of the prototype please contact me: Fien Bosman, press officer Health TU Delft: f.j.bosman@tudelft.nl/ 0624953733

Design and imagination as essential tools during the climate crisis

In Nature Partner Journals, ten researchers advocate the use of imagination in tackling the climate crisis. They focus specifically on urbanising river deltas, which are of great social and economic importance and highly vulnerable to climate change. "We scientists should not merely outline doomsday scenarios," says Professor Chris Zevenbergen. "Create a vision for people to believe in and work towards.”

How comfortable are cargo bikes actually for children?

It’s impossible to imagine the Dutch street scene without the cargo bike. It’s ideal for transporting goods and especially popular for shuttling children from A to B. Surprisingly, however, no real research has been done on the comfort of children during cargo bike rides. Mechanical engineering students Jelmer, Renate, Dirk-Jan, Santo and Alexander set out to change this. The final project for their bachelor’s degree is the first step in this unexplored area of research.

Inaugural address: machine optimisation key to more efficient logistics system

The processing and transport of materials can be made much more efficient, says TU Delft professor Dingena Schott in her inaugural address, ‘Advancing Transport and Processing: from Model to Impact’. She will deliver her address on 15 November. Her research focuses on the interaction between machines and materials, with a special emphasis on granular materials.

FAST University Fund invites all TU Delft students

FAST University Fund invites all TU Delft students to apply for the Ambitious Project Grant or the Event Grant of up to €15.000!

Education demonstration in Utrecht cancelled

Safety cannot be guaranteed In our post of 22 October , we announced that students and staff of TU Delft will have the opportunity to take part in protests against the cabinet's plans to cut higher education. Today it has been announced that the demonstration against the cuts to higher education and science on 14 November in Utrecht has been cancelled because the safety of the demonstrators cannot be guaranteed. Read the reaction of Universiteiten van Nederland to the cancellation of the education demonstration in Utrecht (Dutch only).

Young Investigator Award for Gabrielle Laloy-Borgna

Gabrielle has won the technical Young Investigator Award at Euroson 2024 (congress of the European Federation of Ultrasound Societies in Medicine and Biology) with her presentation entitled: “Ultrasound imaging in bones: tissue characterization, anatomical images
and blood flow measurements”.

Ilaria Orsi joined ImPhys as PhD student

Ilaria started her PhD program in the Renaud group about ultrasound imaging inside bones, contributing to the advancement of such non-invasive technique to characterize tissue composition and to quantify blood flow.