: Automation Approaches in Public Transport Depots

In this context, the optimization of operational processes in vehicle depots is also coming into focus. An indispensable approach here is the (partial) automation of certain operational procedures, especially of tasks such as driving to the car wash, workshop, gas station or charging station, or parking the buses at the end of the shift or lining them up in the order they will be deployed in at the start of the shift.

This is precisely what the partners of the research project “Innovative Depot Automation” (IDEA) MRK Management Consultants GmbH, PSI and the Technical University of Dresden are working on. In the future, the effort required of drivers for internal trips will be reduced and significantly more effective and reliable operations will be achieved by enabling vehicles to move driverless and in a coordinated manner to the locations specified by the depot management.
 

Project manager Andreas Küster explains how IDEA differs from other fully autonomous vehicle research projects:

In particular, the project will investigate how innovative data transmission and localization systems, based on existing technologies such as 5G, can be used for this purpose.

IDEA is part of the program for the promotion of innovative network technologies in mobile communications (InnoNT) and is funded by the Federal Ministry of Digital and Transport (BMDV) with a total of 3 million euros. The core of the project is the research, testing and subsequent validation of radio-based communication between driverless vehicles and a depot management system (DMS) via an innovative 5G campus network.
 

In principle, the conditions for increasing automation of depot processes using DMS and modern vehicles with the appropriate components are already in place. What has been missing so far is a suitable infrastructure and standardized interfaces to efficiently link the various subsystems. Developing an interoperable infrastructure that ensures cost-effective subsequent use in commercial applications is therefore a top priority. 

One of the challenges of automated vehicle movement is the high level of precision required for indoor and outdoor positioning, because the accuracy must be within a few centimeters. This requires robust, reliable and accurate positioning systems that also meet the demands for cost-effectiveness. In the project, a 5G campus network is to be used for both low-latency data transmission and indoor positioning. The research partners are currently investigating whether the accuracy of the positioning services of currently available 5G releases already meets the requirements for the automatic driving functions. If necessary, further sensor or positioning systems will be used on a transitional basis to improve accuracy.
 

An instance of the depot management system PSItraffic/DMS served as the test environment. In the project, this system is being expanded to include functions for controlling and monitoring automated driving maneuvers and supply processes. Since PSItraffic/DMS already has field-proven functions for fully automatic vehicle, parking space and charging management, the basic requirements for.

The Automated Fleet Control System (AFCS) then implements these missions in conjunction with the onboard components in the form of automated driving maneuvers by the individual vehicles. The interfaces between PSItraffic/DMS and AFCS are currently being implemented as part of IDEA. These interfaces are used by the DMS to transfer the missions to the AFCS and to receive the necessary information from the tracking system. A standardization process has been initiated for the relevant interfaces to ensure the interoperability of the systems. PSI Transcom is working closely with the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV) and the European standardization association Information Technology for Public Transport (ITxPT).

In parallel with the integration of the interfaces, preparations are underway for the planning and installation of a 5G campus network with location-tracking capabilities on private premises of MRK in Torgau. Additionally, the project team is equipping a standard 18-meter hybrid articulated bus with control components for autonomous driving. The goal is to explore, using a brownfield approach, under what conditions retrofitting existing vehicles and infrastructure is feasible. Furthermore, an already automated minibus from the ABSOLUT project is available. Both vehicles will be used to test and evaluate key use cases for depot automation. In a subsequent phase of the project, a cost-effectiveness analysis will be conducted based on all research results.

PSI, along with the other project stakeholders, assumes that the functionality and cost-effectiveness of the tested solutions can be demonstrated: 

Industry observers know that this is a good time for this, because many transport companies are planning to build or rebuild depots in the short or medium term, especially in the context of converting fleets and infrastructure to zero-emission drives.
In the vast majority of cases, the issue of depot automation is also taken into account in this context. The aim is to encourage companies to ensure from the outset that the vehicles they purchase are already equipped with the necessary components and interfaces for automated driving, or can be retrofitted with these at the lowest cost.

The same applies to the DMS expansions required for automated driving in the depot area: public transport companies that already have a modern DMS should be able to expand it with an AFCS at an economically justifiable cost.