Aeva and Digitale Schiene Deutschland: Innovations in Autonomous Trains

The California-based company Aeva has been selected by the German project Digitale Schiene Deutschland to supply 4D lidars as part of the AutomatedTrain project, this is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

The goal of this project, which started in the summer of 2023, is to implement autonomous trains on Germany’s railways.

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Funding is provided by the German Ministry of Economy and Environment, and the project involves two regional trains, including Siemens’ Mireo platform.

Aeva’s lidars are high-performance devices with compact dimensions and high resolution.

They can detect objects on and near the tracks and calculate their speed.

This not only allows for the assessment of potential hazards for train movement but also provides highly accurate identification of infrastructure objects, which is critical for determining train locations in real time, especially in tunnels and densely built urban areas.

Aeva’s 4D lidar technology has already proven its effectiveness: in 2023, it was chosen for the autonomous control system of shunting locomotives of the German operator DB Cargo, developed by Railergy.

These lidars significantly enhance safety and accuracy in train movement control, opening up new prospects for rail transport.

The compact size and high performance of Aeva’s lidars make them an ideal solution for the complex tasks facing modern rail systems.

4D lidar technology not only ensures precise object detection but also allows for assessing their speed and potential risks.

This is especially important in urban environments, where infrastructure density requires high precision and reliability of systems.

The AutomatedTrain project will be an important step in the development of autonomous technologies on Germany’s railways.

Thanks to the support of the Ministry of Economy and Environment and collaboration with advanced technology companies such as Aeva, Germany is moving closer to creating a safer and more efficient railway system.

The implementation of Aeva’s 4D lidars will increase the level of automation and safety, opening up new opportunities for the development of the country’s transport infrastructure.

Technological innovations such as Aeva’s 4D lidars play a key role in transitioning to smarter and safer transport systems.

They can significantly improve train movement control, minimize risks, and increase the overall efficiency of rail transport.

The AutomatedTrain project is a vivid example of how advanced technologies can contribute to progress in the field of transportation and create a safer and more sustainable future.

Photo: Aeva

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