Increased safety for trams with Tram Assist Suite

Innotrans 2024 Bosch ensures increased safety for trams with Tram Assist Suite

2024-08-21 Source: Press Release | Translated by AI 3 min Reading Time

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At InnoTrans, Bosch Engineering presents the new Tram Assist Suite for more protection and reliability in urban traffic. For this purpose, an entirely new front collision warning system has been developed. This is supplemented by close-range, side, and attention assistants, which are intended to reduce or even prevent future accidents.

The Tram Near Range Assist monitors the close range and warns at stops about children crossing the road directly in front of the tram or about people who are in the coupling area between two tram cars.(Image: Bosch Engineering) — The Tram Near Range Assist monitors the close range and warns at stops about children crossing the road directly in front of the tram or about people who are in the coupling area between two tram cars.
(Image: Bosch Engineering)

Public city transport is becoming increasingly important and, in addition to high availability, must be primarily safe. The streets in city centers are often hectic—not an easy job for tram drivers. Accidents with other road users cause high costs for the operator for repair, and operational disruptions cause dissatisfaction among passengers. For this, Bosch Engineering has developed the new Tram Assist Suite, which the engineering service provider is showing at this year's Innotrans. For this purpose, a completely new front collision warning system was developed. This is complemented by close-range, side, and attention assistants, which are supposed to reduce or even prevent accidents in the future.

Modular construction kit

The assistance package for trams is designed as a modular construction kit, from which city and tram operators as well as vehicle manufacturers can compile a range of functions tailored to their individual needs.

Included in the suite is the Tram Forward Assist, which warns of impending frontal collisions and recognizes signals and signs. This is also available in the additional expansion stages "Plus" and "Extended Range". The Tram Near Range Assist additionally monitors the close range. For example, it warns at stops of children crossing the road directly in front of the tram or of people who are in the coupling area between two tram cars (so-called coupling surfers). It also prevents door opening on the wrong platform side and supports railway staff by measuring distance when coupling the train parts in the depot.

The Tram Flank Assist is intended to prevent collisions caused by vehicles cutting in. Cross traffic, lane changes, and vehicles turning left are the main causes of accidents for trams in mixed traffic. In addition to the Tram Forward Assist, it enlarges the detection area. Another source of accidents is fatigue and distraction among tram drivers. This is where the Tram Focus Assist comes into play. It analyzes the driver's direction of gaze, facial expressions, and posture, and recognizes signs of fatigue or distraction from traffic and accordingly warns the driver.

Sensor technology

The Tram Assist Suite is based on new Bosch sensor technology. A sensor cluster consisting of camera, radar, lidar, and ultrasound technology enables monitoring of the complete external environment of the train and the driver's cab in the interior. The data is processed via high-performance control units optimized for rail vehicles. Modern connectivity solutions allow the system software to be updated via an over-the-air radio interface and integrated into predictive maintenance concepts.

Integration into new or existing fleets

As an OEM-independent solution, the Bosch Tram Assist Suite can be integrated by the tram manufacturer or third-party suppliers as a ready-to-install original equipment in a new train, and can also be retrofitted in existing fleets of any age. If desired, the engineering service provider can also take on the role of system integrator for the retrofit. The software and hardware components of the Bosch Tram Assist Suite comply with all international standards for city and tram transport. They were specifically developed for the harsh operating conditions in railway operation and are designed for high robustness, reliability, and durability.

In addition, the company is working on concepts for the automated tram transport of the future. For example, the automation of depot traffic. The tram driver simply parks the tram in the depot at the end of a trip, the automation function takes over the control of the tram and maneuvers it driverlessly to the parking space. (se)

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