Cybernetic transportation systems for the cities of tomorrow

Deliverables

The studies and trials carried out during CyberMove project led to a better understanding and definition of the users needs, the certification process and the definition of CTS (Cybernetic Transport Systems). As an active partner involved in this process, ROBOSOFT has been able to define a new generation of electric vehicles meeting the requirements revealed during the project. This new generation of vehicles, exclusively designed for automatic transport of people, are basically mobile robots equipped with people transportation capabilities. 2 types of vehicles have been defined: - RobuCAB: a small shuttle for 4 to 5 passengers; - RobuRIDE: a big shuttle for up to 22 passengers. In spite of a different geometry, they both can be automated using standard guiding systems (wire, transponders, laser, GPS), secured by anti-collison devices (laser, ultrasonic) and supervised through wireless communication systems (GSM, WAP, iMODE). These vehicles can be customized, and are dedicated to inner city areas, where cars are not allowed of have a very limited access. The main expected benefit is to provide cost-effective vehicles to the transport operators or integrators willing to implement CTS systems. The current status is a product definition and a mock-up system able to make demonstrations. It is going to be used for dissemination, but the expected goal is to develop fleets of vehicles performing public transportation services in the cities of tomorrow.

CTSs, or Cybernetic Transport Systems, use automated vehicles to transport passengers or goods. They may be public or private, using small (2 to 4 places) or big (10 to 20 places) vehicles, travelling on reserved lanes either segregated or shared with pedestrians and bikers, they all have anti collision devices which make them safely stop should any emergency occur and they are generally electric. These characteristics make CTS very appealing for any city but to even consider studying a CTS a city needs answering to a number of questions: - Which demand can a CTS manage? - What vehicle size better suits to the location? - How many vehicles are necessary? - Should the lanes be segregated or not? - What performances could the CTS ensure? - How would the users react? - What impact would the CTS have on the location? - How much does it cost? If a city wishes to investigate which of the conventional transport system would better solve a specific mobility problem of theirs average rough figures exists; for example a metro line can accommodate a demand up to 30000 passengers per hours per direction, a tram line up to 6000, a bus line up to 2500; a metro would cost between 50 and 100 million Euros per kilometre a tram costs between 10 and 20 M/km and a bus 2M/km. Nothing like this so far existed for CTSs for two main reasons: CTSs are brand new and rough figures are obtained from experiences and CTSs are flexible systems which differ one another according to the installation site requirements. On the basis of the field trials and feasibility studies conducted in 10 sites all over Europe in the framework of CyberMove project, DITS, the transport department of the University of Rome La Sapienza, developed and validated a methodology to pre-design (namely to answer to the above mentioned questions) a CTS given an area where to install it and an estimated demand. Such pre-design is the second of the steps toward the CTS implementation reported in the Guidelines for cities on how CTS may help them in solving mobility and environmental problems. The three steps are: - CTS main features and success factors - a summary of the main CyberMove findings conceived for a wide public, particularly city authorities which could on that basis think to study a CTS installation. - Pre-design - as already said a methodology to provide a first rough quantification of the CTS characteristics given the site. - Design - a detailed methodology to design a CTS taken from the traditional transport design and adapted to the special features and characteristics of the CTSs.

This work has concentrated on the development of models to describe the potential benefits of automatic transport. Such transport provides the opportunity to eliminate the need for a driver and thus opens up the opportunity to use far smaller vehicles. Several models have been used to provide improved understanding of these possibilities. Initial work on energy usage showed that current forms of public transport provided very limited benefits over private vehicles in terms of energy used per passenger km. However the use of small vehicles operating at low speed can provide a significant energy benefit. Further work has demonstrated the benefits of platooning. More specifically it has been shown that approaches are available which would allow significant increases of capacity while retaining, or even improving safety levels over those experienced on current roads. A final set of papers has evaluated a series of models examining the optimum form of transport in a city. Models of larger scale, less frequent transports were compared with models describing smaller scale more frequent transport. New general results for average trip length and other parameters have been discovered. Three very different models of automated transport have been evaluated. In all cases it was found that the smaller vehicles provided significant gains in transport efficiency. Such systems can only be provided by approaches within the general Cybercar/Cybermove concept. The work therefore provides both a theoretical foundation supporting the Cybercar/Cybermove approach and a series of new results which can be used in further optimisation studies for application of Cybercars in the City of Tomorrow.

One of the most important goals of the present and future cities is and will be to solve the traffic congestion's problems. The cities are all different and have to deal with various kind of problems: mobility is not the same in Europe than in the US, so the tools to use are also different, even if the traffic effects are close (air pollution, noise). Considering, for example, two near cities in the same country leads to the same conclusion. In this context, it is thus impossible to reach "miraculous recipes" to solve urban mobility problems. As each situation being specific, demands specific tools. Cybercars are one of these, able to help the cities in this direction. To be efficient, well introduced and used, they have to belong to general policies (traffic, parking and urbanism) including accompanying measures. The CyberMove project proposes to evaluate different "typical" urban situations, using various types of vehicles to solve their specific constraints. As said before, the initial contexts differ from one to another and there is actually no general methodology that can be applied in any situation. In CyberMove project, the chosen method by GEA and partners was to observe all the various projects and conceptual designs in their own specificities, to analyse, at general scale, the pertinence of each proposal (feasibility studies), to test the technical liability of the vehicles and public acceptance (demonstration) and, ultimate goal, analyse the operating feasibility (test-trial). The result of all these experiments, comparing the observations and conclusions, will allow GEA to elaborate general methodology and guidelines applicable in each situation of urban congestion. This constitutes the most important assessment of the political stakeholders and of all their planners and will be one of the most revealing results of CyberMove's approach. The CyberMove project belongs to the trend of new systems of mobility and is also in the move of many future-planning procedures.

Transportation is one of the most fundamental elements underlying our economy. Congestion is one of the main problems facing our modern society. Solving the transportation problem thus becomes top priority for governments, municipalities, companies and individuals. A (part of the) solution is the Automated People Mover Systems. Automated People Mover Systems mostly focus on the old concept of mass transportation, while the most successful means of transportation (the car) is designed for the individual. For alternative (public) transportation to be really successful, it has to compare and compete with the personal car. For this reason systems for group and personal transportation are being developed. Development, however, is only the first step towards the eventual goal: implementation. The reason for 2getthere/Frog to participate in CyberMove was the opportunity to stimulate the realization and implementation of Automated People Mover applications. The product range of 2getthere consists of the ParkShuttle and the CyberCab. The ParkShuttle vehicle can be compared to a minibus. It operates on pre-defined routes in the network, stopping only at those stations where people request to be picked up. The vehicle seats twelve passengers with eight additional standing passengers. Seating is comfortable with personal space exceeding normal public transport standards. The maximum speed of the ParkShuttle is 32km/h, or 20mph. The vehicles have a lowered floor, accommodating easy access for passengers as well as wheelchairs. The CyberCab can be compared to a taxi. It is fully flexible, capable of stopping anywhere, picking up passengers and transporting them to any destination - via the shortest route - on the routing network. The CyberCab seats four (4) passengers. The height of the vehicle does not allow passengers to be transported standing up. By installing folding chairs in the vehicle, the CyberCab is fully accessible to wheelchairs. The maximum speed of the CyberCab is 30km/h. The SuperFROG control system, fully customised for People Mover requirements, handles traffic control and transportation request dispatching by communicating commands to vehicles and receiving status information from the vehicles via a Radio Frequency (RF) wireless link. The SuperFROG system is equipped with standardised interfaces to traffic lights, traffic beams etc. The ParkShuttle and the CyberCab use a dedicated track to avoid congestion and ensure safety. In most modern day cities it is a clear policy to prioritise public transportation and keep it separate from other traffic. The separate track can be a "bus lane", but would have to be physically segregated from the rest of the street to prevent access to the infrastructure. Mixing with pedestrians or bikers is possible if limited to short stretches of track. Since the vehicles are equipped with an obstacle detection system that will detect traffic and consequently slow down or even stop to avoid possible collisions, the vehicles will be equally fast to the slowest pedestrian or biker. Possible applications, whether they concern simple connections or complicated networks, range from city centres to residential areas, airports, business and industrial parks, theme parks and resorts. The demonstration sites within CyberMove are ideally suited to show the public the added value of these types of transportation systems - whether it concerns temporary or permanent implementations. The first demonstration was during the "Salon International des Véhicules Électriques en Hybrides de Monte-Carlo 2003" in April. The construction process of the prototype of the second generation ParkShuttle - intended for operation at the Rivium site in the City of Capelle a/d IJssel was sped up by more than two months to be ready for this exhibition. Finished just a week before the exhibition, the software that had been tested on the prototype was installed. After several days of testing the vehicle was transported to Monaco where it was installed in just 2.5 days. During the four days of the exhibition, the ParkShuttle was available to all visitors both professionals and the general public and operated flawlessly. 2getthere is looking forward to the cooperation within the CyberMove consortium for the realization of more CTS (Cybernetic Transport Systems).

Among the main results of CyberMove project are the tools and methodologies to define the features of CTS (Cybernetic Transport Systems). In CyberMove, ROBOSOFT has acquired know-how and a strong experience in designing such systems, by customizing its proprietary range of CyberCars vehicles (RobuCAB and RobuRIDE), and integrating them into an operational CTS meeting the requirements of specific people transport system. This know-how includes the following skills: - Customizing the vehicles; - Choosing and implementing the guiiding system (laser, wire, transponders); - Choosing and implementing the anti-collision sensors; - Implementing the man-machine interfaces; - Defining and implementing the fleet control strategies; - Defining and implementing the wireless communication system; - Applying the legal rules for certifications and safety. The main expected benefit is to provide customized and cost-effective complete CTS systems to the cities of tomorrow, or all other public areas: campus, business park, hospital, theme park, railway station.

Intermediate means of transport for short and average distances, with reduced speed but high frequency, the Serpentine system constitutes mainly an interface between the place of origin and the stations of big metropolitan or interurban means of transportation. Besides this main utilitarian function, let us not forget that the playful aspect of the Serpentine capsules also makes it a means of transport perfectly adapted to places and to tourist circuits. The electrification of the road is used for energy transmission to the capsules, constituting the MagnétoGlisseur ® track. The energy transmission system serves also of data carrier, thanks to which the system of management can administer in real time the offer of capsules according to the demand and to its previous origin - destinations. Considering the choice of a speed of relatively weak traffic of 15 kph on average, capsules, of a capacity of 4 persons with luggage, can evolve in opened sky and in mixed site. The risk of accident is very small and the reduced speed is compensated with very short waiting times in station. The automatic functioning of the capsules reduces considerably the costs of exploitation. It should supply a friendly solution to relieve congestion in the heart of cities. The flexibility of use can also redirect it on the transportation of goods, notably in the big industrial areas. The results of the development and the analyses show that, on one hand, the transmission of energy and the guidance by MagnétoGlisseur ®, object of a patent, allow to obtain returns superior to 90 % and that it is, on the other hand, possible to conceive a very narrow, but stable capsule in the wind, and a platform loosened for the luggage, cycles or handicapped persons' vehicles. The quays of Ouchy retained as site for the realization of a first section, lend themselves to such an experimental project. The studies show that 10 capsules are enough to satisfy the demand for this place with average waiting times in station lower than one minute. A classic battery-driven vehicle uses as source of energy a kit of batteries suffering several handicaps such as an important mass, a strong limitation of the autonomy, important costs and relatively long time of load. The system of transport Serpentine includes several original technical aspects the combination with more classic elements of which makes of it an innovative system. The Serpentine system is made of three main components: The capsules, allowing to transport up to 5 passengers, the Magnetoglisseur track, allowing energy transmission and automatic guidance and the traffic management system. Serpentine capsules were found to be user-friendly but well endowed with a system of extremely reliable safety both in the constructive characteristics and in the embedded equipment. The overall and average energy consumption is about 30 times less than a traditional car (600Wh). The automatic management of the Serpentine system by the Traffic Manager HB® allows to adapt cadences to the most variable requirements, and offers other perspectives of uses in airports, seaports or big industrial complexes for example. It takes care also of all the aspects of user interface. The MagnetoGlisseur® infrastructure allows a control of the side and longitudinal location of capsules with a precision about 1cm. Furthermore, the function of transmission of energy allows an availability of the capsules 24 hours a day, every day in the year. The Municipality of Lausanne, Switzerland, ordered the company CN Serpentine Ltd a track of demonstration located on Ouchy's quays. The purpose is to demonstrate the global feasibility of the Serpentine system and more particularly the transmission of energy, the automatic guidance and the global management system. A track of 270 meters with active alimentations was developed. A transformer converts the energy of the network in a tension of 240V continuous. Generators installed in the track feed reels with a frequency of 80kHz. Under the capsule, two primary reels are permanently engaged. The reel of the secondary gets energy, which is converted then distributed on the four batteries plug. Two sensors, situated in front, define the axial and lateral position of the capsule. Information is administered with a regulator that drives the wheels by software differential. As well the management system as the capsule itself are administered by means of computer network. The capsules and the management system are connected on a wireless computer network. At present, the 1st stage of this pilot-plant was realized. Continuation and public exploitation of this first realization are in expectation of a license of the Federal Office of Transport and the Federal Office of Roads. To conclude; the force of the Serpentine system lies in a coherent integration of all the levels of a public transportation system, from the vehicle paths network management to the embedded safety sensors.

The program rufcph.exe is an important tool in order to evaluate the consequences of a RUF system in Copenhagen. It has a very easy to use graphical interface making it easy to use and understand. It can be used by anyone who lives and work in the Greater Copenhagen area. It calculates the most important factors: travel time and energy consumption. The main result can be summarized to the following: - Travel time by ruf compared to by car is reduced by typically 30%; - The main part of the travel time is constructive time that can be used for relaxation, reading, using cell phones without any risk, using the internet and perform on-line work or even take a nap; - Travel time my maxi-ruf can be shorter than by car if you choose a door-to-door trip; - Energy consumption is reduced to 1/3 if you use a ruf in stead of a car. If you use maxi-RUF, the energy consumption is reduced even further; - All the assumptions behind the program are clearly stated and can be changed in order to evaluate how important the different assumptions are.

Exploitable results

Anyville, like numerous European cities faces numerous challenges associated with the use of private vehicles. Problems include road congestion, energy expenditure, noise and pollution, all of which degrade the quality of urban life. These, in turn, by diminishing the attractiveness of living and working at the city centre contribute to the development of unsustainable suburbs. Nevertheless, there is an increasing awareness that technology can contribute to a sustainable development of our European Cities. This should go through the adoption of a global approach, based on sociological, economical, environmental parameters. This way, novel intelligent transport systems could be implemented, which would alleviate the above-mentioned problems. The goals of the Cybermove project were to improve the attractiveness and quality of life in Anyville by reducing the use and the parking needs of traditional cars. This will be achieved by new transportation systems based on cybercars as a complement to public mass transportation. Cybercars offer a cleaner and safer transportation mode available to everyone including people who cannot (or should not) drive for a level of service better than with private cars (door to door, individual, on-demand transportation). Cybermove's aim was to create a new transportation option for city authorities to move towards sustainability and increase the attractiveness of city centres. While the new technologies for vehicles and infrastructure development start in the framework of Intelligent Vehicle Systems (an IST key action), the Cybercars consortium (www.cybercars.org) now launches Cybermove in the framework of the key action "City of tomorrow and cultural heritage" of the Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development (EESD) Programme. The Cybermove approach was to demonstrate new technologies in several European Cities, with the aim of addressing a broad range of barriers such as : technology confidence, customs, landscape scenery, user-friendliness, regulations,.. etc. Cybermove started with an analysis of user needs, a definition of operating scenarios and a pre-design phase. The first planned milestone is the selection of sites in the 12 cities which have officially expressed their interests. The second milestone consists of guidelines for safety design in those selected cities. A design review is the last milestone before the mid-term assessment of the project, which will clarify demonstration plan and budget. Cybermove project demonstrated the effectiveness of Cybernetic Transport Systems (CTSs) in solving city mobility problems and proved that they have now reached high levels of reliability, safety and user friendliness. Depending on how it is designed a CTS can virtually accomplish any transport task: it can provide a park shuttle service for an historic city centre or a business park; it can be a feeder for the main public transport network or the only available transport service in a quarter or a village; it can serve students and personnel in a campus; and it can even be a city wide transport system. For each of these services Cybermove experimented, tested or simulated different design solutions and can now provide, depending on them, figures on performances and costs. CTS can be most successfully employed for two short distance transport services: as feeders for the main public transport network and as park shuttles linking car-parks to one or many destinations. CTSs provide better transport services, if they are designed so, than low frequency buses but interfacing a CTS with a low frequency bus line would waste the CTS benefits in terms of its attractiveness on the users. The service best accomplished by long distance CTSs is the city wide service. CTSs can provide a more convenient transport service than metros and, sometimes, even than cars, but they need dedicated and fully segregated high speed infrastructures.

Imagine you're in one of the following situations: - You're a business woman/man, on the way to leave your hotel in the middle of a big European capital, to visit "company", a large customer potential of yours, whose premises are in a vast technological park. You are short in time and this is an important appointment you could not miss. The technological park is only a few metro stops away from your hotel. But once in there? You do not want to wonder around hundred similar buildings, walking on foot over 2Km or so and asking people left and right for directions... You neither wish to consider a TAXI from your hotel: the traffic in the city center is stack and you can see it from your window! No worries. You choose for the simplest, the metro for instance. Meanwhile, you log-on on your wap or I-mode terminal and dial www.company.com. Then you identify yourself, enter your location, the time of your meeting and the company address: the system tells you when your robuCAB shall be waiting for you, possibly at the campus entrance or very close to it. And that's true. When you arrive at the campus entrance, your robuCAB is there, waiting for you and you only. You just comfortably sit in, identify yourself and relax. You're safely transported to your important meeting. Should you have to check some important information on the Web before your meeting, the on-board colour LCD touch screen brings the information at your fingertips. By the way, you are stress-free and safely taken at your meeting on time! - You are really happy to come to this cultural park with your family: you have planned to come for such a long time! But here you are, and today you really want to have a nice and fruitful experience of everything, and to finally understand a lot about the local culture. But this is a challenge: the park is so vast, the animations so numerous! How will you manage to have an exhaustive visit, with little John just starting to walk and Kathy always so curious of everything? This is were robuRIDE automatic shuttles come into action. You just choose the kind of tour you want: of course, you want the most exhaustive one! Do not worry about the schedule: the system recommends you the best route to experience all animations, dynamically optimised to make you have a full visit and no long queues. Furthermore, when using the recommended robuRIDES for going from a cultural point to the next one, you are surprised that the robuRIDE makes you arrive at the exact time where the multimedia animation begins! How do they do that? You never waited for any shuttle, you even took all your time to satisfy John's hungry, and Kathy spent a lot of time in the library... No matter, just enjoy the visit! This is not science-fiction but the result of innovation. Part of the scenarios described above has become true last year. The robuCAB - robuRIDE product line is the ROBOSOFT offering in the area of automatic transportation of people. It intends to provide customized versions of automatic vehicles for various usages within protected sites, such as industrial and academic campus, amusement, theme and holiday parks, cultural sites and museums, airports and train stations, pedestrian city centres, hospitals, retirement and rehabilitation centres, etc. Among the product line, the robuCAB products apply for taxi type of applications (individual transportation on demand) and the robuRIDE products apply for shuttle type of applications (collective transportation with fixed routes and schedules.)

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Deliverables

Exploitable results

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