The Autonomous Siemens Tram

TL;DR

This paper describes the development and demonstration of an autonomous tram system using multi-modal sensors for localization, traffic signal detection, and obstacle avoidance, showcased publicly in Potsdam, Germany.

Contribution

It introduces a complete autonomous tram system with integrated hardware and software components for localization and obstacle detection, demonstrated in a real-world setting.

Findings

Successful public demonstration in Potsdam

Effective multi-modal sensor integration for localization

Reliable detection of traffic signals and obstacles

Abstract

This paper presents the Autonomous Siemens Tram that was publicly demonstrated in Potsdam, Germany during the InnoTrans 2018 exhibition. The system was built on a Siemens Combino tram and used a multi-modal sensor suite to localize the vehicle, and to detect and respond to traffic signals and obstacles. An overview of the hardware and the developed localization, signal handling, and obstacle handling components is presented, along with a summary of their performance.