The project aims to demonstrate that autonomous inland navigation is possible and that autonomous vehicles make inland navigation economically viable even with smaller units.
The project objective is to provide a defined test field environment (sections of the Spree-Oder-Wasserstraße (SOW)) for research on autonomous and networked water vehicles, especially with regard to a new type of city logistics based on autonomously operating and electrically powered water vehicles.
| Title: | DigitalSOW – Digital test field for automated and autonomous operation on the Spree-Oder waterway SVA: Test vehicle for city logistics and autono-mous driving |
| Term: | 06/2021 – 12/2023 |
| Project Manager: | Dr. C. Masilge |
| Founding: | Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport |
| Project administration: | Bundesanstalt für Verwaltungsdienstleistungen |
| Partners: | Uni Rostock, TU Berlin, VBW, DLR, Alberding GmbH |
| Reg.-No.: | 45DTWV002F |
The aim of this sub-project is the design, construction and provision of two test vehicles, which are to be used for testing the test field environment on the one hand and as platforms for third-party projects on the other. The test vehicles are modular in design and can operate in a two-man system as well as be coupled together and decoupled again to form larger units. The test vehicles will create a development environment that can be used in a variety of ways to develop the sensor, control and drive technology required for autonomous operation. Particular attention is being paid here on the one hand to a drive with the lowest possible emissions, and on the other hand to a high degree of compatibility with other research projects in this field in order to achieve high synergy effects.
The test vehicles to be developed should, on the one hand, take up the modular concept of the known pushed train technology introduced in the region and be large enough to be able to demonstrate logistics chains, on the other hand, they should not exceed the size of small vehicles according to the Inland Navigation Inspection Regulations (L < 20 m) in order not to have to carry out lengthy European approval procedures. Two coupling units are planned, which together have a length of approx. 14.5 m and, when coupled with the vehicles from the A-SWARM project, are 19.5 m long.