Mannheim and Friedrichshafen are now testing two so-called autonomous minibuses for local public transport. As part of the “RABus” project, each vehicle will have space for up to ten passengers and will have a safety driver on board, but can drive independently, as the Ministry of Transport announced.
The project has one of the first test permits in Germany for so-called highly automated driving. “Baden-Württemberg is thus taking autonomous driving with shuttle services to the next level and is taking a significant technological step forward,” said the Minister of Transport Winfried Hermann (Greens).
With highly automated driving, a vehicle drives itself under given conditions and human intervention should no longer be necessary. The Association of German Transport Companies speaks of a “special position” with regard to RABus and points, among other things, to a significantly more advanced technology compared to similar projects and the close connection with public transport operators.
“RABus” stands for “real-world laboratories for automated bus operations in public transport”. According to the project partner, the buses will initially run without passengers. If you want to take part from the end of October, you don’t have to pay anything, but you have to register in advance. The project is scientifically supported by, among others, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). The state is funding the project, which runs until December, with almost 14 million euros. The technology for autonomous driving comes from the automotive supplier ZF in Friedrichshafen.
Use of the minibuses in normal traffic – including stops
In Friedrichshafen, according to the Ministry of Transport, the minibuses should drive both within the city and in the surrounding area – and there at least 60 km/h. “The automated vehicles will be used in mixed traffic with all other means of transport,” said a spokeswoman. The route therefore includes 20 stops. In Mannheim The buses will be used in the Franklin residential area on the former US military site and will serve eight stops.
According to project manager Ulrike Weinrich from FKFS (Stuttgart Research Institute for Automotive Engineering and Vehicle Engines), the further development of the vehicles is also part of the project. “There is no one in Germany who says: You can buy this autonomous shuttle from me.” The electric minibuses are getting loud Ministry of Transport Produced in Slovenia by the company eVersum, ZF builds its technology into the vehicles itself. The project partners do not comment on the costs.
According to ZF, the minibuses are equipped with lidar, radar and camera systems to detect the surroundings. Lidar sensors work similarly to radar, but instead of sending radio waves, they emit laser beams to locate obstacles. A high-performance computer processes the data and derives driving strategies from it. The minibuses can also communicate with traffic lights via radio signals. This is to ensure that the buses stop on red and run on green. The shuttles are also connected to a control center via the cloud.
Vehicles drive “defensively” at the start of the project
“The aim is to be able to guarantee operation at the end of the project without the active intervention of a safety driver,” said a ZF spokesman. However, a vehicle attendant who monitors the function of the shuttle will always be present during the project operation – this is also the legal requirement. “In addition, at the start of the project, the vehicles drive defensively and react very carefully to any potentially dangerous situation.”
The Mannheim Rhein-Neckar-Verkehrsgesellschaft as a project partner does not see autonomous buses as a replacement for regular buses and trains in the foreseeable future. “Rather, autonomous vehicles could become interesting in the future wherever a conventional bus service is not worthwhile or would simply be oversized,” said a spokesman. This is about the so-called last mile between the light rail stop and the destination or at night.
The Stadtverkehr-Friedrichshafen-Gesellschaft also refers to the personnel issue. “Against the background of the acute shortage of skilled workers in the bus industry, the autonomous shuttles offer great potential to relieve the strained personnel situation,” said a spokesman.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:241001-930-248425/1
Mannheim and Friedrichshafen are now testing two so-called autonomous minibuses for local public transport. As part of the “RABus” project, each vehicle will have space for up to ten passengers and will have a safety driver on board, but can drive independently, as the Ministry of Transport announced.
The project has one of the first test permits in Germany for so-called highly automated driving. “Baden-Württemberg is thus taking autonomous driving with shuttle services to the next level and is taking a significant technological step forward,” said the Minister of Transport Winfried Hermann (Greens).
