Presentation of the project results and a visit from the Bavarian Transport Minister
The project partners will present the project results on Wednesday, September 25, 2024, starting at 12:30 p.m. at the joint CNA booth in City Cube A / 240. Christian Bernreiter, Bavarian Minister of State for Transport, will get a first-hand impression of the tram cockpit of the future in a visit earlier that day at 8.30 am..
Transit company as a pioneer of innovative mobility concepts
Due to the growing shortage of skilled personnel and with the aim of improving safety, Münchner Verkehrsgesellschaft mbH (MVG), part of SWM, is committed to developing the job of tram driver in new ways. Oliver Glaser, Managing Director and Head of the Rail Division at MVG, emphasizes the need to modernize and digitalize public transport operations through innovative mobility services: “Assistance systems offer an opportunity to support tram drivers in their work and to further develop tram vehicles. The simulator makes it possible for us to virtually test various systems and to assess them in connection with different traffic situations. This helps us in making future decisions and will also aid us in making tram operations even more safe,” comments Glaser.
Prototyping driver assistance systems for the next generation of trams
As progress is made towards fully autonomous, driverless tram operation, the current project is producing important solutions for today's requirements. Drivers are supported by assistance systems, which significantly reduce the likelihood of accidents, explains IABG Managing Director Thomas Köhler: “In the field of driver assistance systems, we are developing state-of-the-art solutions that provide drivers with additional information. Cameras and LiDAR sensors on the vehicle detect obstacles in the route of the tram and around the vehicle and provide early warning of a possible collision. In the event of an emergency, the systems initiate measures independently to prevent personal injury, for example by emergency braking.” In addition to achieving greater safety, the project partners also hope to gain initial insights in the automation and networking of public transport. With the involvement of passengers, it is planned to design and directly implement customized automation solutions for testing using agile development methods. Even though numerous tests have already been conducted, autonomous tram operation is not currently planned in Germany in the foreseeable future, not least due to unresolved authorization issues.
Simulation in combination with hardware
The core element of the simulator is the virtual streetcar operation with (pre-)implemented driver assistance systems and the multifunctional displays from GERSYS as a digital interface. Based in Wolfratshausen near Munich, GERSYS develops on-board equipment for rail transportation and is one of the innovation leaders in this field. “Our hardware provides the technical prerequisites for displaying customer-specific applications in the cockpit of a tram,” says Thorsten Sprenger, Managing Director of GERSYS. At InnoTrans, GERSYS will be presenting its extensive product range at the HÜBNER Group booth in Hall 1.2, Booth 120.
Three GERSYS systems have been installed in the simulator for the tram cockpit of the future: two multifunctional displays (HMIs) of the types BC2980 and BC5480 as well as the “electronic rear-view mirror” VM1500 (video monitor). The graphic displays can, for example, transmit current technical values or live images from installed external cameras. GERSYS is already supplying multifunctional displays and electronic “rear-view mirrors” for the Munich public transit company involved in the project. “This allows tram drivers to see in real time what’s happening around their vehicles,” explains Thorsten Sprenger.
Simulator provides views from different perspectives
The tram simulator shows how this works in practice in an impressive way. To facilitate the most realistic and detailed operation possible, Optify rendered a section of a specific MVG route into a 3D digital model showing the track and the surrounding area. In cooperation with IABG, a complex simulation network was developed on the software side to depict various traffic situations that might occur in multifaceted tram operation. In addition to the simulated perspective from the driver's cab, interested visitors to InnoTrans can also slip into the role of a passenger or other traffic actors with the aid of virtual reality glasses in order to experience external human-machine interfaces.
Aim and benefits of the tram simulator
The tram simulator will be used as the development platform for user-centered prototyping of driver assistance systems that can be employed in the trams of the future. With the information gained in this way, the project partners will be able to generate reliable and verified requirement specifications to sue for tenders for the development of the required assistance systems. Transit operating companies can thus minimize the risk of placing incorrect orders and thereby save costs.
Download Press Release / Press Contacts IABG at InnoTrans 2024