Self-driving trams to hit the streets of Moscow, to be tested on closed tracks over the next two months

According to foreign media New Atlas, a Russian urban electric car manufacturer and an artificial intelligence developer of autonomous driving systems are developing an urban tram that will be driving on the streets of Moscow in the near future. Before street testing on Moscow tram routes, the autonomous tram will soon begin closed track testing.

The joint project of PC Transport Systems and Cognitive Technologies aims to develop a tram that can operate autonomously in the Moscow region and "minimize the number of accidents and reduce reliance on human factors." The vehicles are expected to be available on the Russian market and in other regions, including Germany and China, by 2021-2022.

The tram's AI vision computer system feeds in vision from 10 to 20 cameras positioned around the tram, as well as data from up to 10 radar sensors. GPS will help determine its position on "high-precision mapping" as it travels along the track.

“The combination of sensors, including cameras and radar, ensures accurate and reliable detection of objects in the road scene in all weather conditions (night, rain, fog, snow, high beam, etc.),” said Olga Uskova of Cognitive Technologies in a press release.

The autonomous tram will be able to detect other vehicles (including trams), traffic lights, pedestrians, tram/bus stops and switches on the track and respond appropriately. For example, the vehicle will stop when an obstacle is detected and will also maintain a safe distance from the vehicle ahead, the project team said.

Testing on a closed track will begin within the next two months, but the trams will not operate alone. A human driver will be in the cab ready to take over if needed.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.