Siemens Mobility has completed the installation of the obstacle detection system on Berlin S-Bahn and soon testing will start for the first time during regular daily operation.
“For 100 years, the Berlin S-Bahn has stood for innovation and progress. We are partnering with industry to test new technologies that support environmentally friendly rail transport. Automatic obstacle detection will be an indispensable component for automated driving in the future. It is already capable of supporting our drivers and contributing to better operational quality,” Peter Buchner, CEO S-Bahn Berlin said.
Testing of the technology will be carried out in a partnership between Siemens Mobility including installation supervision, sensors, hardware, software and digital map. S-Bahn Berlin will be responsible for trains, installation, operation, and Digitale Schiene Deutschland/DB InfraGo for digital mapping, open data platform. Results of the tests will be evaluated together with Verkehrsverbund Berlin Brandenburg (VBB).
On the technical side, the sensors used in the project will include high-performance LiDARs for close- and long-range object detection and an infrared camera.
The algorithms for evaluating the sensor data have been specially developed for the rail sector in the Berlin Digital Rail Operations – BerDiBa research project by Siemens in Berlin-Adlershof and have already been optimised several times. The system continually compares the position of a train with the location of detected objects using a digital map. Decisions whether to warn the driver or brake the train are made on the basis of these ongoing calculations. A newly developed map from DB InfraGo, which depicts reality with centimeter-accurate precision in 3D, is being used for this purpose for the first time.
Following a one-year test phase through all seasons, the assistance system should be ready for use as an emergency braking assistance system that operates in the background to support the driver. On the basis of the data generated during this phase, it will be possible to use the system together with other automation components for automated driving at low speeds, such as during depot shunting or when deploying or shutting down a train.
The field test aims to gain knowledge about boundary conditions for obstacle detection with the help of joint data evaluation, record and evaluate the performance of the sensor technology under special operating conditions. minimise risks related to planning projects and optimise system settings to avoid false alarms, essential for driverless operation.
The project’s goal is to thoroughly evaluate the performance of the new obstacle detection system during daily operation in various weather and route conditions.
The test data will be used to further refine the system and optimise the positioning of the detection sensors. The system will record background data for the duration of the project, and neither the train drivers nor the passengers will notice its operation.
In the future, the obstacle detection system can help drivers avoid accidents, which will stabilise daily S-Bahn operations and increase punctuality. The system promises to be a key technology for enabling digitalised, fully automated rail operations in the future.
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