A year after the introduction of two autonomous bus shuttles in Switzerland, an initial conclusion can be drawn: levels of passenger acceptance are high, but the technology is still in its infancy.
A small Swiss city is taking a pioneering role in the use of automated buses. Since June 2016, two electric shuttles from French manufacturer Navya have been running in the centre of Sion in the canton of Valais – making their operator Postauto one of the first providers in the world to use automated buses for passenger transportation on public roads.
The trial in Sion will run for two years. A driver is still on board for safety reasons to monitor the system and intervene should this prove necessary. The aim of the pilot project is to test the new technology in the public arena in order that these experiences will inform the future development of the technology and its possible applications. Daniel Landolf, CEO of PostAuto Schweiz: “We want to learn from the new technology and the possibilities it will open up to us, so that we can develop new mobility solutions for the whole of the public transport sector.”
21,500 people in a single year
Approximately one year into testing, the two 11-seater electric shuttles, which are each 4.8 metres in length, have carried more than 21,500 passengers. In operation for 312 days, they have clocked up more than 4,500 kilometres. Despite passengers’ scepticism prior to boarding, after alighting, their reaction is very different, with the older generation being particularly impressed by the technology. With neither steering wheels nor pedals, the small -driverless buses look nothing like their normal -counterparts. Two stereo cameras towards the bottom of the windscreen monitor the road and are able to read traffic light signals and road signs. In addition, six lidar sensors scan the area around the vehicle through 360°, covering a circumference of between 50 and 100 metres. The SmartShuttle uses satellite navigation to find its way through the city centre. However, the route has to be driven manually first, with the autonomous bus being steered via a console. During this “exploratory trip”, the vehicle’s sensors capture its surroundings and use the information gathered to create a 3D map. After this, the shuttle is able to determine its own position for automated driving along the route and can detect obstacles. The vehicle runs as if on virtual rails. However, it is not completely autonomous. If it has to deviate from the programmed line (because of vehicles parked incorrectly, for example), the driver accompanying the vehicle will take manual control via the console. In addition, the shuttles are monitored by a teleoperator in a remote control centre who can intervene immediately to halt the bus at the next stop or send it to the charging station.
The Cloud at the wheel
The Cloud-based fleet management software by Swiss company Bestmile enables the driverless vehicles to collaborate as a fleet. It manages both timetabled journeys and chartered trips and is compatible with vehicles of any make. With modern algorithms for journey planning, automatic operations management in real time, route calculation and energy management, Bestmile brings together the “individual robots” to create an integrated, intelligent and flexible mobility system. The fleet management software also communicates with the shuttle’s control software in real time. The software in the bus steers the vehicle, sets its speed and applies the brakes. Although the buses are capable of a maximum speed of 45 km/h, they travel at no more than 20 km/h in Sion, with the average speed being just 6 km/h.
It’s still early days for autonomous buses
The past year has shown just how much potential automated buses offer. However, it has also shown that despite sophisticated technology, it is still early days for travel by automated buses. They are difficult and expensive to build and run and require strict monitoring. Manual intervention by the driver accompanying the bus is still a mandatory requirement, with eight out of ten manual interventions being necessary in order to avoid cars parked incorrectly. The system cannot operate in heavy snow, either. Plus, there has already been one accident: in September 2016, one of the two shuttles was involved in a minor collision with the open tailgate of a parked delivery van. Both vehicles involved in the accident sustained slight damage. However, lessons can be learned from mistakes of this kind: minor technical and organisational adjustments have been made by Postauto and the vehicle manufacturer Navya. The safety distance for cornering has been increased, for example, so that the vehicles are more sensitive in how they respond to obstacles and can stop more quickly.
Looking to the future
Tests are currently ongoing to widen the route network in Sion and make adaptations so that the SmartShuttles can be integrated into the overall mobility chain. In supplementing and improving the services available to customers over the last mile, the SmartShuttles would be meeting one of Postauto’s declared aims. Investigations are also under way to ascertain if the test phase can be extended in order to offer passengers further benefits including a dial-a-bus service.