Automated driving in the Furttal: iamo project begins testing operation

The project partners Swiss Transit Lab, the cantons of Zurich and Aargau, as well as SBB, are developing in the pilot project "iamo – intelligent automated mobility" approaches for the deployment of automated vehicles in public transport. The aim is to examine the potentials of self-driving vehicles for a flexible and cost-efficient expansion of the public transport offering, particularly in rural and suburban areas. The basis for this are technological advances of the past years in the field of automated driving.

Pilot region and involvement of the municipalities

As the pilot area, the Furttal was selected, which offers suitable conditions due to its settlement structure, its size, and a central S-Bahn connection. Operations start in Otelfingen, Boppelsen, Hüttikon and Dänikon. Looking ahead, the test area should be expanded to Buchs, Dällikon, Regensdorf, as well as the Aargau municipalities of Würenlos and Killwangen. The municipalities are actively involved in the project and participate in planning and communication with the population.

Approval by ASTRA and Start of Practical Implementation

The Swiss Federal Roads Office (ASTRA) has issued the necessary exemption permit for the deployment of automated vehicles on public roads. This marks the start of operational implementation, initially without passengers and with safety personnel on board.

Mapping and Training Phase

At the outset, the roads in the pilot area will be driven manually several times. In doing so, sensors such as LiDAR, cameras and GPS capture the surroundings to create high-resolution digital maps. These contain detailed information on lane markings, lane widths, curbs and traffic regulations and will later serve as the basis for automated driving operations.
After completion of the mapping, the training phase begins, in which the deployed technology learns Swiss-specific traffic rules and local traffic situations. The trips take place at different times of the day and under varying traffic conditions.

Test phase with and without a safety driver

In the subsequent test phase, the vehicles operate autonomously, initially still with a safety driver on board, later for the first time without a person at the wheel. The central control center of Eurobus in Regensdorf will then take over remote monitoring. The tests are conducted in coordination with ASTRA and serve to verify the interaction between WeRide's self-driving system and ioki's fleet management.

Vehicles, Technology and System Responsibility

Electric Nissan Ariya vehicles, equipped with WeRide technologies, are deployed. The company operates worldwide projects in the field of automated driving and is among the established players in this market. At a later date, an expansion of the fleet to minibuses is planned.
The on-demand software and the passenger app come from the mobility provider ioki, a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn. The company provides routing, pooling and the communication between the app and vehicle control.