During the InnoTrans 2024 trade fair in Berlin, Škoda Group presented its Smart Depot ecosystem project, which uses autonomous technologies to enhance public transport.
Over a year ago, Škoda Group introduced the Smart Depot as its vision for an autonomous future in public transport. Now, the project has moved from concept to demonstration.
At its depot in Tampere, Finland, Škoda showcased how a tram could autonomously perform complex tasks, including safely navigating the depot, avoiding obstacles on the tracks, and passing through the wash line.
This level of automation aims to drive a shift from a model where five employees manage one tram, to a future where one employee can oversee five trams.
“I would like to thank my colleagues who have turned the vision into the first real demonstrator of Smart Depot. I am confident that we will continue to develop the possibilities of autonomy to contribute to modernising and advancing public transport. I believe that rolling stock is inherently close to autonomy and that in the future it will make its operation safer and more efficient.”
Rather than a single product, the Smart Depot represents a comprehensive ecosystem of technological solutions working together to automate tram movements within depots, without human intervention.
At the heart of this system is the ATO (Automatic Train Operation) technology, which automates train control, optimises schedules, and reduces energy consumption.
Precise localisation, using an electronic track map and data from GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems) and odometry, is critical to the ATO system’s success. With accurate localisation, Škoda can introduce additional functions like an Intelligent Speed Limiter, which prevents derailments by limiting tram speed through software updates.
Additionally, Škoda’s ACS (Anti-Collision System) enhances safety by reducing the risk of collisions in depots and urban environments. Using LiDAR technology, cameras, and precise localisation with HD maps and odometry, the ACS creates a virtual tunnel around the tram, allowing it to detect obstacles, issue early warnings, and minimise false positives.
Last week, vsitors at InnoTrans 2024 were able to explore the progress of the Smart Depot project first hand.
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