Network of Innovation – CargoMover
The Automatic Freight Car
Driverless freight cars could help shift traffic from congested roads to integrated rail networks. The first demonstration vehicle of this sort, the CargoMover, is being jointly developed and tested by several Siemens Groups together with external partners.
The German town of Wegberg-Wildenrath is home to an extensive railroad network belonging to the Siemens Transportation Systems Group's (TS) railroad vehicle test center. The facility, the most modern of its kind anywhere, has been expanded over the past five years, and is the place to witness the latest in rail design concepts. Whether it be a high-speed ICE 3 train, a subway for Southeast Asia, a Desiro-type regional train destined for Great Britain or a Combino, the world's most successful streetcar, all wind up in Wildenrath for a thorough check before they head for the customer's tracks. Technicians here are used to innovations. But on this bright September day, a train parked on one of the most distant tracks has aroused even their curiosity: the CargoMover, the first fully automatic freight car.
Franz Mairhofer, a Siemens engineer and Director of Cargo Logistics at TS, uses a key to activate a control panel on a large display at the front of the vehicle. He taps in a destination, steps aside, and within seconds CargoMover is ready to roll. A horn sounds and the freight car, which is driven by a powerful diesel engine, sets off on its own accord, accelerates to a speed of some 90 km/h and disappears into the woods. A little later, the CargoMover approaches the loading ramp that Mairhofer entered as its destination and decelerates. Suddenly, its horn emits a shrill blast as its sensors register a canister on the tracks. As the object makes no attempt to move, the freight car comes to a stop at a safe distance from it. Only after an employee has removed the obstacle does the car set off again, heading for the loading ramp, where a truck is waiting to hoist a container onto the CargoMover.
"Driverless freight cars could one day make a significant contribution toward shifting traffic from the road back to the rail network," says Mairhofer, explaining the aims of the CargoMover development project. "Today," he continues, "the trend is completely in the opposite direction."
According to estimates from the German Federal Ministry of Transport and the 2002 Prognos European Transport Reports, freight transport in the European Union (EU) and other European countries that have applied for membership is expected to increase by 40 to 50 % by 2015. That corresponds to an increase in the volume of goods being transported from 500 bn. tkm in 2002 to 700 bn. tkm in 2015. But at the same time, the market share of rail-based freight transport is sinking rapidly. When compared with road, ship and pipeline, rail-based freight transport's share of the market has fallen in the EU from 32.6 % in 1970 to 14.1 % in 1998. This downward trend is set to continue as a growing number of unprofitable lines are either dismantled or scheduled for reduced maintenance. But the consequences of these events add up to major problems for motorists and the environment. Even more trucks are likely to congest roads, causing billions of dollars' worth of delays.
Automatic driving requires sophisticated sensor technology. A video camera identifies obstacles (left) and follows the track (center). Radar sensors look up to 70 m ahead, and laser scanners allow accurate switching
"The details are revealing," says Mairhofer. "In Germany, 80 % of all goods are transported locally or regionally. In other words, they travel a maximum of 200 km. In view of this, the CargoMover would be an ideal alternative to the truck in this sector." CargoMover needs no driver, makes the most of gaps in the regular timetable, can carry as much cargo as at least two trucks (up to 60 t, depending on design), is available around the clock and holds the potential of making secondary lines economical once again. In short, "With governmental support, the CargoMover concept would prove worthwhile for both the economy in general and for shippers."
From a technical point of view, CargoMover has moved forward without a hitch. Less than two years after the project was launched by Prof. Fritz Frederich of the Technical University of Rheinland-Westfalia (RWTH) in Aachen, Germany and Hans M. Schabert, a Member of the Siemens TS Board, a demo freight car was operational. The technology is an outstanding example of the "Network of Innovation" within Siemens and with its external partners. Among those involved in the project were the Institute for Railroad Vehicle Technology at the RWTH (mechanical systems), the University of Brunswick (computer technology), Siemens TS in Brunswick and Erlangen, Germany (braking systems, signal boxes), the Siemens Information and Communication Mobile Group (GSM-Rail digital mobile radio network) and Siemens Corporate Technology (CT) in Munich (sensor technology).
"CargoMover uses data from a wide range of sensors," says Hartmut Scherer-Winner, who is responsible for coordinating project activities at CT. Five radar sensors observe what is going on up to 70 m ahead, calculate distances to objects and the relative speeds of other trains. Meanwhile, a video camera follows the course of the track. When combined with vehicle speed information, the data from this camera can be used to derive three-dimensional information about obstacles on the track. Two infrared laser scanners—one works at track height and the other swivels from side to side, scanning the area in front of the CargoMover—ensure that the car can maneuver with extreme accuracy. "A standard industrial PC is all that's needed to combine and evaluate the data," says Scherer-Winner.
This means that CargoMover can move independently. But to ensure that it can also make use of timetables and integrate itself into overall logistics, it needs a means of communicating with headquarters—for example, via the GSM/R network—and a link to the European Train Control System (ETCS). "The ETCS makes it possible to drive automatically, because it transmits route information such as train signals, speed limits, and track status indications directly to the vehicle," says Scherer-Winner. An engineer (driver) is not necessary because ETCS also transmits train braking and control signals. This means that headquarters knows exactly which trains are where—an important prerequisite for optimized logistics.
But all this—on a commercial basis at least—is still years away. Although the introduction of ETCS is planned across Europe, its implementation is expected to take several years. Switzerland is spearheading developments. Deutsche Bahn (the German rail system operator) expects to receive system authorization for ETCS in late 2004. However, things move slowly in the world of railroad technology. "If we want to have CargoMover commercially operational by 2010, we have to get things moving now," stresses Mairhofer. This means that countless obstacles have to be overcome before shipping companies can order CargoMovers as readily as they order trucks today. Private rail companies seeking new business opportunities could play a pioneering role in this regard. CargoMover would be suitable for factory transportation and for freight transport in harbors or between city centers and airports, both of which are currently dominated by trucks.
Ulrich Eberl