Self-driving vehicles take to local public transit in experimental trial - Testing Autonomous Vehicles in Urban Settings through a Trial Run
Autonomous Vehicles to Debut in Public Transit in Southern Hesse
The German Railway and the Rhine-Main Transport Association (RMV) will unveil the country's first autonomous vehicles for public transit passengers in Langen, Offenbach district, on Monday. The pilot project, titled "Kira," will offer an on-demand service as part of the city's public transit network.
Beginning soon, passengers will travel in self-driving electric vehicles that can accelerate up to 50 kilometers per hour in the city and 100 kilometers per hour on highways. A safety driver will be on board to intervene in emergencies, but all driving decisions will be made by the vehicle itself. A select group of test individuals will participate in the trial.
The project, a collaboration between Deutsche Bahn and the RMV, aims to provide a flexible and attractive transportation alternative for public transit commuters. Kira represents the country's initial step toward Level 4 autonomous vehicles in real-world traffic, making it a pioneering effort in AI-based autonomous on-demand transport.
Two Nio ES8 electric SUVs will initially be in use, with one in reserve. The vehicles will operate within a designated area that includes Langen and Egelsbach in the Offenbach district. Plans call for parts of Darmstadt to be added to the service later in 2025.
Each electric vehicle can carry six passengers and operates in mixed traffic at speeds up to 130 kilometers per hour. The vehicles are equipped with advanced LIDAR sensors, cameras, and autonomous driving software from Mobileye. The service is available through the Kira mobile application, with ioki providing the booking and route-planning platform.
The Kira project represents a significant milestone in the evolution of public transit in Germany and showcases innovative collaboration between public transit authorities and technology partners in southern Hesse, potentially setting a precedent for future developments.
Reference(s):[1] https://www.db.de/en/innovation/projects/autonomous-mobility/kira-project[2] https://www.rmv.de/presse/aktuelle-pressemitteilungen/details/pressemitteilung/neuer-beatmobil-fur-kira-test-vorstellen[3] https://www.db.de/en/newsroom/press-releases/2022/db-rmv-launch-the-first-publicly-available-autonomous-bus-service-in-hamburg[4] https://transportrevolution.de/deutsche-bahn-testet-self-driving-busse-in-suedhessen/
- As a part of the innovation in autonomous vehicles, the community policy of Kira project, a collaboration between Deutsche Bahn and the RMV, includes vocational training for safety drivers to operate in emergencies within the public-transit network in southern Hesse.
- Financing for the autonomous vehicle project, such as the development of the path-planning platform provided by ioki, may come from various sources, including partnerships with technology companies and sponsorships from the transportation industry.
- The Kira project aims to implement advanced technology, including LIDAR sensors, cameras, and autonomous driving software from Mobileye, to enable the electric vehicles to work seamlessly within the existing public-transit infrastructure and promote efficient transportation in southern Hesse.
