Self-driving trams to run in Budapest? — VIDEO

Photo: www.facebook.com/RizsaviTamás

Trams without a driver will soon be available in the capital of Hungary. Siemens has installed a new driving assistance system: the Combino tram received the new system. Due to the high traffic, testing is best here.

New development on the tram

Siemens introduced a management support system called STA (Siemens Tram Assistant). This helps the driver work by recognising risky traffic situations. In addition to recognising risky situations, it also provides feedback and warning to the driver. The system’s sensors also monitor the direction of travel and traffic.

The new technology can reduce the number of accidents.

The purpose of the system is to exclude accidents caused by humans and to reduce the severity of the accident. This will make traffic safer, index.hu writes.

“It works on a similar principle to the self-conducting electrical prototype presented by Siemens at the Potsdam show three years ago. It is an excellent opportunity for us to test this technology here where the product development itself takes place,” said László Ludvig, the Managing Director of Siemens Mobility.

This system is already known for metro networks

Many people know that the trains of Metro 4 run in Budapest without a driver. However, metro lines M2 and M3 also run in automatic mode.

External factors do not affect metro traffic; therefore, introducing the system was simpler than it is for trams.

In the case of trams, the system must recognise a number of factors. Traffic participants, pedestrians, other vehicles, and the movement of these factors must also be monitored by the system. All of this should be compared to the speed and direction of the tram. This is to prevent accidents.

The new system is being tested on one of the Combinos, writes origo.hu. During a press conference, it was possible to see the equipment in operation. The system has shown that it stops when a pedestrian steps on the rails.

“There are 400-450 accidents a year, but only 15 per cent of them are due to BKV’s fault,”

emphasised Péter Dániel Borbás, the manager of the tram sector of BKV. They want to reduce this low number even further with the help of the new technology.