12:13   30  July  01
Will Knight

Electric trams that rely on computers rather than tracks for steering are
being tested in the Dutch city of Eindhoven and in Las Vegas, in the US.

The public transport vehicles depend on two different technologies to
create "virtual tracks" that guide buses around busy streets without a
driver having to touch the wheel.

Anton Jos Klostermann, an engineer behind the Dutch project, says that
automatic steering systems such as these allow cities to implement
tram-like schemes at a fraction of the cost.

He says that trams increase the efficiency of public transport dramatically
because they require less road space than a bus, have a higher average
speed, are more comfortable, more punctual and are more reliable. "It has
all the benefits of light rail, but is much cheaper," he says. "We see it
as a completely different type of transportation."


Magnetic attraction


The prototype Dutch vehicle, called Phileas, has an onboard computer
guidance system pre-programmed with the bus route. Magnets embedded in the
road's surface are detected by sensors under the bus to ensure that it is
on the right track. This is a safety measure. In principle the bus can
follow the pre-programmed track without the magnets.

If it is even two centimetres out, the on-board computer makes an
adjustment to the bus's steering. The guidance technology was designed by
Dutch companies Frog Navigation Systems and APTS.

Another driver-free vehicle is preparing to make its debut in Las Vegas.
Known as Civis, the bus uses on-board cameras to track a line painted on
the road. The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada has
bought 10 of the French-built vehicles, which will start ferrying
passengers around the city in 2003. The system looks 100 feet ahead of the
bus to plot the its course.

According to its creators, the system works reliably even if two thirds of
the line is obscured by dirt on the road. The system was developed by the
company Irisbus.


On the right track


Manufacturers of both systems say they are aware of possible public concern
over computerised drivers. Neither system is entirely autonomous, relying
on a human driver to regulate the vehicle's speed and take over steering
should the on-board system malfunction.

Despite reassurances, not everyone is comfortable with the idea of
automatic steering systems, however.

"We're not convinced about safety," says Mark Reddie, principal planner for
the Phoenix Public Transit Department, which is also considering buying the
new buses. "They haven't mass-produced them yet and we don't know how
reliable they will be."



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