Transport

Projects

DLR's transport research is carried out in the form of topic-centred projects: The DLR institutes involved conduct cross-disciplinary research to find concrete solutions. The projects benefit from DLR's wide-ranging expertise in the aeronautics, space, energy and transport programmes, as well as from networking with politics, industry and science.

Networked transport system

DATAMOST – Data and Model-based Solutions for the Transformation of Mobility

The sustainable mobility of the future requires a successful change in passenger and commercial transport that reconciles transport with environmental and climate protection goals. The latest scientific methods, data and models must also be considered and used together. The DATAMOST research project is therefore intended to combine expertise from all areas of DLR and visualise research results in an interactive mobility laboratory. The mobility laboratory also supports the joint and stakeholder-open research and evaluation of solutions.

VMo4Orte – Networked mobility for liveable locations

Liveable locations are environmentally friendly, resource-efficient, sustainable, inclusive and safe. They enable a high quality of mobility and life and good accessibility for everyone in the long term. A systematic transformation of mobility is needed to create them. New mobility services, urban structures, political and social framework conditions as well as individual behavioural changes have to be considered. With the ‘Networked mobility for liveable locations’ (Vernetzte Mobilität für lebenswerte Orte; VMo4Orte) research project, DLR offers solution components that can contribute to the transformation of the transport system.

Rail transport system

RoSto – Rolling Stock

In the RoSto project, interlinked innovative and novel technologies, methods and processes for the design of railway vehicles are being developed. The aim is to optimally fulfil all the requirements of the various stakeholders for rail vehicles. This concerns both the mechanical architecture and the interior design of rail vehicles. The goal is to significantly increase efficiency, competitiveness and performance.

TraCo – Train Control and Management

Flexible and efficient, safe and sustainable rail transport is a significant component of future mobility security. The TraCo project develops and analyses technical and operational requirements for the highly automated, networked, flexible and safe rail operations of the future. To this end, targeted and approvable automation is being considered in the interaction between people and technology. The focus is on train control, train protection and train control technology.

InTra – Infrastructure and Transformation

Reliable, flexible and compatible infrastructure is the basis for safe and efficient rail operations. The InTra project addresses the diverse issues brought up by the emerging major transformation of this infrastructure. Project goals include increasing the operational resilience of the railway system, ensuring a sustainably functioning railway system and analysing customer requirements.

ProCo – Propulsion and Coupling

The global challenges of transport in terms of climate change, securing mobility and managing the transition to a sustainable transport system are complex. The ProCo project takes a whole-system and integrated approach. It aims to enable climate-friendly, resource-efficient and sustainable rail transport. The Propulsion and Coupling (ProCo) project is based on the four cornerstones of energy, efficiency, cost-effectiveness and environmental protection.

Road transport network

FFAE – Focus Applications, Vehicle Architecture, Powertrain and Energy Management

Within the FFAE project, multiple research areas are being addressed, beginning at the materials level and moving through the subsystem level, the system level and up to the vehicle level and its integration into the energy system. This work opens up new possibilities for the transformation of road transport as a contribution to an emission-free, more efficient, resource-conserving and sustainable transport sector. The research and development activities cover the following areas – complete vehicle concepts, system-relevant technologies, production, infrastructure and sector coupling.

V&V4NGC – Methods, processes and tool chains for validation and verification of the Next Generation Car

The V&V4NGC project is creating a mixed virtual/physical simulation environment for the Next Generation Car concept. The simulation environment will be used for ongoing design activities as well as continuous verification and validation, up to the virtual certification of automatic driving functions and fully automated road vehicles. The technical implementation is accompanied by a process that links the development phase with the operational phase to form a continuous development and operational cycle.

KoKoVI – Transport as a cooperative and networked system

The KoKoVI project sees traffic as a networked system in which the potential of automation and digitalisation can be exploited. Eight DLR institutes are jointly researching the networking and cooperation of vehicles, cyclists, pedestrians and traffic infrastructure equipment such as traffic lights and sensors. The active integration of infrastructure components into the traffic system is a central aspect of the project. For the planned use cases ‘Virtual Stop’ and 'Remote Operation', the required components are being developed and demonstrated in urban traffic.