Pilot project for intelligent automated mobility is progressing
The Swiss Transit Lab, the cantons of Zurich and Aargau and SBB are preparing the deployment of self-driving vehicles in the Furttal valley. A digital map of the region is currently being created as part of the iamo pilot project. This will be followed by a training and test phase.
The Swiss Transit Lab(STL) from Schaffhausen, the cantons of Zurich and Aargau and SBB have started the mapping phase of the intelligent automated mobility (iamo) pilot project. With the creation of a digital map of the region, the use of self-driving vehicles in the Furttal is being prepared, according to a press release. Before the service can be used in the Furttal, a training phase and a test phase will be carried out following the mapping.
As part of the project, the project partners want to make automated vehicles available to travellers and find out how this could further develop public transport in the future. Two electric cars equipped with WeRide technology are now on the road in the Furttal valley for the first time. However, these are still being driven by a driver for the time being.
During the mapping phase, the roads in the pilot area are now being travelled manually. The vehicle sensors record the surroundings and create a digital map that will contain more information than a classic navigation map. In addition to real-time images, the map will provide the basis for the safe navigation of self-driving vehicles in the future. As soon as this phase has been completed and the exceptional authorisation for automated driving has been granted by the Federal Roads Office(FEDRO), the training and test phase will follow. The vehicles will learn the traffic rules and typical situations in the pilot area and then drive automatically, initially under the supervision of a safety driver.
The public launch of the vehicles is scheduled for the first half of 2026. Up to four passenger cars can then be ordered for a fee via an app and take passengers from a defined stop to another stop in the pilot region. Various measures are intended to ensure data protection and data security. The fleet is also to be expanded to include minibuses in future.