"Digital eyes" make trains smarter. Industry project tests sensors on S- Bahn Hamburg vehicle.
Digital Rail Germany is writing the future. In the future, state-of-the-art sensors will be able to perceive the surroundings of trains and determine their location in real time. In the "Sensors4Rail" project with industry and specialist partners, DB is initially equipping a train The DB is initially equipping a train of the S-Bahn Hamburg with the technology of the future. Smart Railway Germany is writing the future of
future. In the future, state-of-the-art sensors will record the trains' surroundings and determine their location in real time. In the "Sensors4Rail"
project with industry and specialist partners, DB is initially equipping a train with sensors.
DB is initially equipping a Hamburg S-Bahn train with the technology of the future. Smart technology makes switches and vehicles smarter and rail traffic noticeably more robust.
The innovative sensor technology automatically monitors the environment in front of and to the train, helping to avoid potential disruptions. It also enables precise vehicle location in real time and thus shorter distances between trains.
between trains. This creates more space on the track without additional expansion and renewal of the infrastructure. The Sensors4Rail system is used to support train crews while the driver remains on board.
DB and Siemens Mobility are contributing their rail expertise to Sensors4Rail.
Bosch Engineering, HERE Technologies and Ibeo Automotive Systems are leaders in the development of sensors and software for vehicle environment sensing and localization.
Sensors4Rail is a joint project. Within the framework of the cooperation
Deutsche Bahn is responsible for project management, vehicle engineering, approval and safety, while Siemens supports vehicle integration and is responsible for system testing and localization of train front position.
and the localization of the train front position by means of a modern odometry unit with GNSS satellite positioning. The partners Bosch (radar, infrared long- and medium-range cameras and stereo cameras) and Ibeo (LiDAR sensors). A particular challenge for rail vehicles compared to road vehicles is the very long braking distances.
The sensor technologies used in the project therefore have a long
range. Bosch fuses the sensor data to obtain a reliable image of the train's surroundings even at night and in fog.
A reliable image of the train's surroundings is available. The track position is also recorded and correlated with the driving situation and surrounding objects to derive the correct reactions.
Bosch and Ibeo are responsible for localizing the train's position: They
compare the landmarks detected when perceiving the surroundings with the orientation
the landmarks stored in the HD map.
HERE provides the HD map in 3D to locate the train on the track with centimeter precision. The map contains objects such as buildings, bridges or platform edges that serve as a reference for locating the actual train on the track.