Pilot Project
In Canton Schaffhausen, a pilot project started today with an autonomous bus. Michael Wicki from the Institute of Science, Technology and Policy is conducting his research for the public acceptance.
Trapizio is the name of a little autonomous bus with 11 seats, that will drive itself through the center of Neuhausen to the Rhine Falls. The shuttle bus, manufactured by the French vehicle manufacturer Navya gives a taste of the public transportation of tomorrow. The transportation service is provided during the trial period for free.
from the transport companies Schaffhausen, the operator of the bus. Trapizio should daily through the streets curves. The first short distance leaves a dense tact to what for Test arrangement is advantageous. At The stops can be «connection situations " to practice. The means, passengers get off a bigger one, from a driver steered bus in the small autonomous trapio. Wahrenberger: "We are curious how the transfers work. »
Acts the accident from Arizona to?
In the project, AmoTech, a daughter of Trapeze Switzerland from Neuhausen am Rheinfall. The internationally active Trapeze Group develops solutions for public transport.
Near Freiburg and in Sion Although comparable pilot tests are however, Neuhausen goes one step further, like Matthias Stahel of Trapeze Switzerland explains: "It's the world's first full integration of a driverless Vehicle in an operations control system for regular services.
And thus also the first Integration of a driverless Vehicle in public Traffic. "In Marly in the canton Freiburg, for example, considers the self-propelled Vehicle on a separate Stop, in Neuhausen use "normal" buses andTrapizio the stops together.
On board is always an escort who as a driver in the sense of Road traffic regulations apply.
While driving she keeps the traffic in the eye and can trigger a manual emergency stop.
She also controls Trapizio, if the programmed Lane is blocked or up the vehicle for example because of a construction site can not understand.
"From when we on the companion can dispense do not predict themselves », says Stahel.
To the legal hurdles to clear out of the way, would have technical problems solved become. This includes driverless Vehicles an obstacle drive around yourself.
The Institute of Science, Technology and Politics (ISTP) ETH Zurich accompanies the project scientific. Something like that There have been similar ones before Projects, because you concentrated but on the technical aspects, explains Michael Wicki from the ISTP. A large-scale Questioning the population
such a project took place not now. To know more about get the acceptance out, the institute invited 8,000 randomly selected persons from the Canton Schaffhausen for a survey on. There are two follow-up appointments.
Wicki: "The public Opinion is just in the Switzerland with the strong direct democratic voice central."
The question is, how the misfortune of Arizona acts. In front of you Week was a woman there from an autonomous car of the caretaker mediator Drove over dead Service. It was the first accident a self-driving car, in which an uninvolved road user came to death.
According to police, the clash would be in each mode – manually Man-directed or autonomous - difficult to prevent because the woman is right out the shadow on the road had kicked. Clarified are the exact Circumstances not.
«Influencing such events public acceptance » says Wicki. "In the short term, the Skepticism is growing. I expect, however not that the accident is too a precedent against the Approval of autonomous vehicles developed in Switzerland.
"On the other hand, the geographical Distance, the more liberal Regulation in Arizona and also the first insights into the accident.
The accident is independent from driving mode and not on the autonomous Attributed systems.
The ISTP is also researching the allow public opinion Job losses in public transport. Findings from Singapore point out that the number Jobs in the short term even rather rises. Matthias Stahel sees it's like this: «Self-propelled vehicles make it possible to extend the public transport.
Hopefully at the expense of Individual traffic. »Unprofitable Deals could be with smaller ones Vehicles operated profitably - within the framework of Firstund Last-Mile-concepts, the development of lodgings with the next major stop as a hub. So arise in opinion Stahels additional jobs in the public transport. Self-propelled Vehicles would also have to be monitored and be entertained.
Safety How safe are autonomous moving vehicles in Road traffic? This question at least since then fatal accident in Arizona (see Main text). Matthias Stahel from Trapeze Switzerland is convinced of the advantages: «Computer do not tire. Sensors can look in all directions.
The reaction times are short. "And the networking of Vehicles could have an extra Gain security.
For Michael Wicki of the ETH depends on the future traffic scenario from, if and how much safer driving autonomenFahrzeugenwird. Gibt it closed systems only with autonomous vehicles or Mixed traffic? "At least in closed Systems should be the Road safety, in fact rise, since the human Error factor is eliminated – and hence the cause of most Traffic accidents. »(Alm)