RCAS - Railway Collision Avoidance System

Collision avoidance for trains

As part of the Railway Collision Avoidance System (RCAS) project, DLR developed a viable overall system for avoiding collisions between trains, which was implemented and demonstrated as a prototype.

It combines a train-to-train communication system, a positioning system and a system for situation analysis and decision support. It relies only on sensors and communication technology on the train, so it can be installed at a fraction of the cost of a system that relies on trackside technology.

As part of this project, DLR developed a new type of collision warning system for trains. At the heart of this technology are its communication and positioning components, which have already been introduced to rail operators in Germany and the Czech Republic via the DLR spin-off "„Intelligence on Wheels“. These are installed in the driver's cab of the train and function independently of any rail infrastructure. The rail vehicles equipped with the system exchange information such as position, direction of travel and speed at regular intervals. Based on the data, the train driver is warned early and reliably before a collision occurs.

The relevant information, for example about position and speed, planned routing or loading gauge violations, is exchanged via infrastructure-free train-to-train communication. The system evaluates the situation and suggests solutions to the driver in critical situations or intervenes in the braking behavior so that the trains come to an early stop if there is a risk of collision.

Partner

In the RCAS project, scientists and engineers from two other DLR institutes worked together with scientists from the Institute of Communications and Navigation, who are developing the actual communication process under railway-specific conditions: The Institut für Verkehrssystemtechnik in Braunschweig answered the railroad operational questions. It adapted the jointly developed concept to the boundary conditions and railroad operational characteristics and developed it further until the components were integrated into a test vehicle. Employees of the Institut für Optische Sensorsysteme in Berlin-Adlershof supplemented the RCAS system with optical subsystems, for example to monitor obstacle clearance on the track.

2015 - Dampflok ausgerüstet mit dem Kollisionsvermeidungssystem RCAS
Eine Dampflok der Harzer Schmalspurbahnen (HSB) ausgerüstet mit dem Kollisionswarnsystem der DLR-Ausgründung "Intelligence on Wheels".
Image: 1/3, Credit:
IoW/HSB
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placeholder — Video: The Railway Collision Avoidance System (RCAS) by DLR (engl.)
DLR's Railway Collision Avoidance System (RCAS) is a 'safety overlay' system which can be deployed on top of any existing safety infrastructure in train networks. The core idea of RCAS is to broadcast the position and intended track of trains as well as additional data like vehicle dimensions to all other trains in the area using ad-hoc train-to-train communications. This enables train drivers to have an up-to-date accurate knowledge of the traffic situation in the vicinity, and act in consequence. Computer analysis of the received information, the own position and movement vector and an electronic track map detects possible collisions, displaying an alert signal, and advising the driver of the most convenient strategy to follow in order to avoid the danger. The system is adaptive to a variety of situations like advancing trains or road vehicles or obstacles.
Image: 2/3, Credit:
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Links and more Information

Ausgründung - Mehr Sicherheit im Schienenverkehr

Intelligence on Wheels

Dr. Thomas Strang und Dr. Andreas Lehner entwickelten am Institut für Kommunikation und Navigation ein neuartiges Kollisionsvermeidungssystem für Züge (RCAS = Rail Collision Avoidance System).

28. Oktober 2015 | Mehr Sicherheit im Schienenverkehr

Innovationspreis 2015 für "Intelligence on Wheels"

Dr. Thomas Strang und Dr. Andreas Lehner, Wissenschaftler des DLR und Gründer des Unternehmens Intelligence on Wheels (IoW)", wurden am 27. Oktober 2015 in Köln mit dem Manfred-Fuchs-Innovationspreis ausgezeichnet. Mit dem Preis würdigt die GvF - Gesellschaft von Freunden des DLR e.V. (GvF) die vorbildliche Zusammenarbeit zwischen dem DLR und der Industrie.