AUSTRALIA: A collision warning system developed by Bosch is to be installed on the 13 seven-section trams that CAF is to supply for Stage 1 of the Parramatta Light Rail network in western Sydney.
The 12 km, 16-stop Stage 1 connecting Westmead to the Parramatta CBD, Camellia and Carlingford is under construction for opening next year.
Bosch said this would be the first use of a collision warning system on an Australian light rail network. ‘This is a logical application of driver assistance technologies found in other types of vehicles — it will make tram travel safer for everyone, helping to protect human lives as well as preventing accident damage’, said Gavin Smith, President of Bosch Oceania.
Bosch has developed the system from technology which was originally developed for road cars. Video sensors will monitor the track layout ahead as well as vehicles and people, while a radar sensor monitors mobile obstacles and detects any static objects.
The information is merged into a detailed image of the surroundings and supplemented with additional information, such as the speed of the tram. If the system detects a potential collision, it will issue an visual and audio warning, and triggers automatic emergency braking if the driver reacts too slowly or not at all. The driver can override the system using a driver acknowledgement function.
