Rubrik Issue 14 | May 2015 | como · PDF filecomo 14 | May 2015 Rubrik 1 ... They describe the current technical development toward greater efficiency, ... Siemens provides the smart

1como 14 | May 2015 Rubrik

New intelligence for urban mobility

One Station by Christian HöhnAn exhibition project in the DB Museum

Driverless urban travelHow automation is supporting mobility

comoFacts, Trends and Stories on Integrated Mobility

Issue 14 | May 2015 | www.siemens.com/mobility

2 welcome como 14 | May 2015

Dear readers,

Electrification, automation, digitalization – these three terms represent big possibilities and big opportunities in vir-tually every area of life. They describe the current technical development toward greater efficiency, optimization and slicker organization of various processes – for example in the world’s rapidly growing urban regions. The current issue of como therefore takes a look at the many options that a digitalized world opens up to us in the area of mobility.

The digitalization of our environment is clearly not an entirely new phenomenon. Digital technology and the Inter-net, data transfer via radio and smartphone apps mean that the mobile society already finds itself in the midst of transi-tion. We have become entirely accustomed to “thinking” software controlling, monitoring and managing complex processes fully automatically and helping us make decisions by intelligently linking data. That also goes for transport and traffic – for example with prescriptive services that improve availability, with automation systems that increase capaci-ties, and with innovative technologies that enhance passen-ger experience. IT and automation are therefore among the crucial technical requirements for sustainable infrastructure solutions in the smart cities of tomorrow – with smart grids, intelligent buildings and integrated transport sys-tems. Only in this way can productivity, efficiency and quality be improved in a sustainable manner.

“Sustainable solutions can only arise on the basis of a holistic vision,” recalls Professor Martin zur Nedden, Scientific Director and Managing Director of the German Institute for Urban Studies, in his interview starting on

page 8. In the current issue of como we connect the dots between “talking” roadside infrastructure, automatic park-ing space location using radar sensors, “learning” software and innovative ideas and inventions for the future of urban mobility.

Modern transport management systems link up roads and rail, networked information systems show passengers efficient travel routes, and driverless subway trains adapt flexibly to passenger volume. How automated public trans-port systems can ensure mobility in the smart city of tomorrow and how even existing metro systems can be effectively modernized – read about all this and more in the current issue.

Our centerfold piece serves as a reminder that transport has other fascinating aspects, too. In it we present “One Station – Poetry of Railway Stations,” a series of remarkable photo-graphs from the Nuremberg-based artist Christian Höhn.

But read on and see for yourself – I ‘m sure you’ll find plenty of interesting content.

Yours sincerely,

Electrification, automation and digitalization represent big possibilities and big opportunities in virtually every area of life.“

„

Karina Rigby Siemens Mobility, Vice President Business Development and Strategy

3como 14 | May 2015 contents

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Contentshorizon 4 Say something!

Safety comes first, which is a good reason for cars, traffic signals and other cooperative systems to start talking to one another.

8 Cities in transitionDigitalization is the future – as long as it enhances the appeal of public transport, says Professor Martin zur Nedden, Scientific Director and Managing Director of the German Institute for Urban Affairs.

move28 Sleepless in Riyadh

The world’s largest metro project: Siemens employees report.

30 Digital metro Urban transport on the path to automatic operation.

34 Smarter parkingSearching for a place to park is a nuisance. But soon you can be notified of free spaces directly in your car.

connect38 Ideas for the future

When young inventors think about tomorrow, they come up with remarkable solutions.

focus 12 Efficient mobility – in the

smart city of tomorrowPressure on urban living is on the rise, and cities are constantly facing new chal-lenges. Which smart strategies can the city employ to rein-vent itself – and become truly sustainable?

18 The Poetry of Railway StationsAn ode to the railway station: the Nuremberg-based photog-rapher Christian Höhn traveled five continents and created portraits of literary settings with rail connections.

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Say something!

When cars, dynamic traffic signs, weather data systems and light signals

talk to one other, the big winner is road safety. Vehicles, traffic control centers and infrastructure communicate

with one another as cooperative systems and pass on important traffic announcements and warnings to the

driver – long before dangers or disruptions actually appear in view. And this is not a vision for the future: so-called Vehicle2X communication is already being put to the test on an intelligent transport system (ITS) corridor

between Rotterdam and Vienna.

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Say something!

Modern talking between Rotterdam and Vienna

Smart road infrastructure has been a reality for some time now. Siemens is involved in various pilot projects in Germany and abroad, and has carried out extensive research into the topic of interaction between cars and infra-structure in recent years. Car2X com-munication is currently being tested on an ITS corridor from Rotterdam to Vienna via Frankfurt. This collaborative project, which has political support from the Netherlands, Austria and Ger-many, unites Siemens with companies and institutions including NXP, Honda, Cohda Wireless, IBM, the certification company TÜV Süd, and the German and Dutch automobile clubs AvD and ANWB, respectively. The goal is to ex-plore the technology’s potential and to develop solutions that are ready for series production.

Roadside units – installed discreetly, almost invisibly, on traffic lights in urban areas or on freeway gantries – play an essential role in traffic com-munication, forming the interface between vehicle and infrastructure. The roadside units link up the vehicles and the infrastructure, including the Car2X control centers. Communication is based on IEEE 802.11p, a WLAN standard specially adapted for Car2X

D riving is becoming an increas-ingly frustrating activity: Ger-many’s car drivers spend an

average of 35 hours per year in traffic jams, consuming around 11 billion extra liters of fuel – the economic cost of traffic jams alone came to around €7.4 billion in 2013. On top

of this are growing safety risks in dense city traffic, at confusing

intersections or roadwork sites – enough reasons to

improve how road traffic is organized using smart technology.

Car2X, data communi-cation between the car and other vehicles or smart road infrastruc-ture, is one such tech-nology. The most impor-tant factor in ensuring a smooth journey is a real-time exchange of data:

when drivers have up-to-date information on the

weather and road condi-tions, traffic volume and

roadwork sent directly to their car or mobile device, they can

adjust their driving behavior to the present conditions in plenty

of time. Transport experts are certain that better-informed drivers save ener-gy and cause fewer accidents.

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applications. Compared to cellphone networks, which can be slow or un-stable, this direct link between road users and infrastructure ensures that traffic and vehicle data can be trans-ferred smoothly and without delay.

Reliably providing drivers with in-formation is only one benefit, however. Vehicles, in turn, can gather data directly from the traffic or weather conditions they are currently experi-encing, feed this into the system and thus provide the traffic management system with a broader set of data, including for sections of road without

traffic technology infrastructure installed.

An anonymous chat room for the road

Open communication with the traffic in-frastructure carries certain risks – similar to using WLAN connections. For in-stance, data integrity could be compro-mised, intentionally or otherwise, when it is being transmitted. The exchange of data must therefore be protected against potential security risks in order to avoid dire consequences for transport safety.

The app for safely crossing the road A smartphone app can make blind and visually impaired

pedestrians safer

Safely crossing the road is often no small matter for the blind and visually impaired. Even everyday errands such as going to the super-market or visiting the doctor can become a challenge, for instance when mobile construction sites or a change in the course of traffic

alters their familiar route. A special smartphone app aims to increase urban traffic safety for these pedestrians. Over the last three years, as part of the research project “Urban Mobility Support for the Blind and

Visually Impaired” by Braunschweig University of Technology, the German Aerospace Center and Siemens as a technical partner, a proto-

type app, an online route planner and the accompanying technical infrastructure have been developed to make intersections safer for

pedestrians with visual impairments. The system works by infrastruc-ture components transmitting acoustic and haptic information to mobile devices via WLAN – using Vehicle2X technology as a basis.

If some disruption is causing incor-rect data to be delivered, integrated security mechanisms must recognize such data and reliably evaluate it. To prevent information from being manipulated or road users from being spied on, the on-board communica-tion devices use dynamic digital certif-icates and encryption as well as hard-ware security features. This means the sender remains anonymous, since every outgoing data set uses a new signature. It is therefore practically impossible to trace or track a vehicle. All the roadside units have to detect is


what kind of vehicle is sending the data, as in special cases certificates are assigned with a higher level of au-thorization. These certificates can, for example, grant priority to emergency vehicles or public transport at traffic lights.

The technology is there, the part-nerships are in place: The Dutch elec-tronics firm NXP supplies radio chip-sets for the networked vehicles and the hardware security features to protect the communication system against bugging and manipulation. Siemens provides the smart infrastruc-

Intersections and signs be-come intelligent and work with vehicles to make traffic safer, more efficient and

environmentally friendly. The driver directly receives important information about traffic,

restrictions and warnings.

ture and equips road signs, traffic lights and traffic blocks with V2X systems.

To clarify the definition: the abbre-viation V2X stands for wireless com-munication both between vehicles such as cars, buses and trams with one another (Vehicle-to-Vehicle, V2V), and between vehicles and traffic infra-structure (Vehicle-to-Infrastructure, V2I). V2X adds these functions to ex-isting traffic guidance and driver assis-tance systems. V2X-ready vehicles also receive information from smart traffic signs and make adjustments

Infrastructure that communicates: so-called roadside units, which are installed on the roads, deliver to traffic control centers informa-tion about traffic density, road conditions and traffic light phases.

according to the cycle times of traffic lights before reaching the interchange.

Soon these communication systems will be ready for series production, and in Siemens research departments subsequent steps are already being planned: as the next stage, for exam-ple, they are examining how to incor-porate pedestrians and cyclists into cooperative systems and how to pre-cisely determine vehicle positions – a crucial step toward autonomous driving. ■

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Cities


in transition

Globalization, urbanization and digitalization are the buzzwords of our time – we must prepare ourselves and our environment for changes. But where do urban structures, which have often grown over hundreds of years, fit into this new age? Can the advent of urban digitalization smooth the transition? And what must we keep in mind to ensure that cities still offer a good quality of life in the future? An interview with the Scientific Director and Managing Director of the German Institute for Urban Affairs (Difu), Professor Martin zur Nedden.

Professor zur Nedden, the world around us is growing more complex and more complicated at a breath-taking rate. Is it even possible to adapt urban structures, which have often grown over centuries, to this rapid change?European cities, and German cities in particular, have always managed to adapt successfully to new conditions without losing their essential fea-tures and qualities. This is still possi-ble in the present situation. One im-portant requirement is for the city in question to have a comprehensive, integrated overall strategy that has been developed by carefully weigh-ing up the benefits and drawbacks of different development options. Not

every technical innovation that is feasible necessarily makes sense in terms of sustainability. Digitalization offers a range of opportunities, but it is only one element among a series of complex interactive structures in urban development.

For cities in particular, the issue of digitalization involves several aspects...Absolutely, the public sector bears a very particular responsibility here. Data collected to increase the effi-ciency of transport systems, for ex-ample, also has an effect on personal rights and causes more light to be shed on people’s private spheres.

The susceptibility of complex elec-

tronic systems to failure is another factor that needs to be considered. Operating errors, technical faults and hacker attacks can lead to signif-icant problems in cities. The aspect of resilience – in this case of digital systems – will play an even greater role in our future efforts to ensure our cities run smoothly.

Are such risks taken sufficiently into account?My impression is that technical feasibility currently holds a great fascination, while questions of sustainability, resilience, as I men-tioned, or indeed social consequences are pushed somewhat into the back-ground. Clearly, technical progress

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often presents opportunities, but it can bring problems too.

So what is the best way for urban planners to approach the current challenges?At a municipal level there is a wide range of problems to overcome si-multaneously. Aside from the afore-mentioned developments, we need to consider climate change and the measures required to adapt cities to its effects. Then we have to bring the change in demographic structures into the equation. The same goes for the way our global economy is trans-forming, partly due to digitalization. Given the complex interdependen-cies I mentioned between various aspects of urban development, it is essential to take interdisciplinary, integrated approaches to overcom-ing challenges. This is the only way that the conflicting goals of individ-ual courses of action can be chan-neled into an appropriate solution. This also applies to the issue of digitalization.

Digitalization certainly does prom-ise greater efficiency. However, this does not always equal higher quality. If, for example, efficiency gains in traffic management simply lead to there being more cars on the roads, little progress is made in terms of cultivating a sustainable transport

situation. If, on the other hand, they are used to regain public space for other municipal functions or to help make public transport more attrac-tive, the city will benefit.

According to this approach, what should be the guiding principle of sustainable urban development? In terms of content, sustainable urban development still rests on a balanced consideration of ecological, economic and social interests through integrated strategies and measures developed on this basis – as the re-sponsible ministers for urban devel-opment in Europe described in the Leipzig Charter in 2007.

How can urban design help to improve social conditions?Urban design is a crucial area of ac-tivity in ensuring stable social condi-tions. It can either help or hinder the situation in several ways. However, if we want to keep social segregation within acceptable limits and main-tain the capacity to integrate immi-grants as a key feature of the Euro-pean city, other areas of activity are of even greater importance. Here I would name land policy, housing policy, welfare policy, education policy, and child and youth care. Yet particularly when it comes to main-taining social stability, municipalities

need the support of the national and state governments. The challenge is too great to master alone, especially since some of the key parameters are set at these higher levels.

Do you see a specific risk that con-tinuing urbanization pools essential functions in these urban centers, resulting in a drain on rural areas? In Germany we can observe quite different patterns when it comes to the development of rural areas. While some rural regions are still growing, an increasing number are experiencing population decline. The national and state governments defi-nitely have this topic on their agen-da. In my view, cities and rural areas need to be looked at together. There are positive examples of cooperation. For example, metropolitan regions such as Hamburg and Nuremberg show how cities can work with the surrounding rural areas on issues including the provision of public services. Incidentally, this is another area where digitalization can be a significant help.

As an urban planner and former head of municipal construction, you are well aware of the challenges that cities and municipalities need to solve most urgently. What comes right at the top of the list?

The susceptibility of complex electronic systems to failure is another factor that needs to be considered. The aspect of resilience – in this case of digital systems – will play an even greater role in our future efforts to ensure our cities run smoothly.”

„


We have already touched upon some of the central challenges. For the cit-ies it is primarily about making posi-tive contributions toward managing and adjusting to climate change, coping with demographic change, avoiding segregation, dealing with developments in digital technologies appropriately, securing their finan-cial basis and involving the commu-nity. Sustainable solutions can only be reached by taking an overall view, which in turn forms the basis for set-ting targets and prioritizing mea-sures accordingly. Given the differ-ent situations of various cities, there are no patent remedies here. Every municipality needs to find the right

solution for its needs, although hav-ing sufficient financial means at the municipal level always plays a signifi-cant role.

So does it all comes down to a question of money...?The municipalities are making a very legitimate demand to the national and state governments for an appro-priate level of funding to ensure they can fulfill the tasks delegated to them. However, that is not to say the municipalities are sitting back and relaxing. They are actively seeking solutions, despite the tight financial restrictions they face in most cases. Leipzig, for example, has joined forces

with the housing industry and city residents to develop a concept for low-barrier homes that are suitable for the elderly – one of the greatest challenges in the context of demo-graphic change. These do not meet the DIN standard for barrier-free homes, but they do reach the princi-pal goal of enabling elderly people to remain in their familiar home en-vironment for as long as possible. In this way, more people can be helped using the same budget through a sensible and justifiable reduction in standards. At the municipal level there are many such innovative ap-proaches to tackling the aforemen-tioned challenges. ■

The German Institute for Urban Affairs (Deutsche Institut für Urbanistik – Difu), founded in 1973 and based in Berlin, is the largest urban research insti-tute in the German-speaking area and the official research, training and information institute for cit-ies, municipal associations and planning associa-tions. The institute works on a broad range of topics – alongside urban and regional development these

include urban construction, the environment, trans-port, and social and economic issues – and deals with all the challenges that municipalities face today and in the future, taking a scientific and practical approach. The Association for Municipal Sciences (Verein für Kommunalwissenschaften e.V.) is the sole shareholder of the research institute, which is run as a non-profit organization.

Professor Martin zur Nedden

Martin zur Nedden studied spatial planning at the Vienna University of Technology. Since the 1990s he has held positions including Head of the City Planning Office of Bochum and Head of Municipal Construction and Councilor for Urban Development and Construc-tion of the City of Leipzig. Since November 2013 he has been the Scientific Director and Managing Director of the German Institute for Urban Affairs (Difu), and since April 2014 he has also been an honorary profes-sor for urban development and regional planning at the Faculty of Architecture and Social Sciences of Leipzig University of Applied Sciences.

German Institute for Urban Affairs (Difu)


in the smart city of tomorrowEfficient mobility


in the smart city of tomorrowEfficient mobility


Cities are dynamic entities – they are constantly evolving. Today this is more important than ever, as pressure on urban living is noticeably mount-ing. Global warming and demographic change, pollution and dwindling resources, social upheavals and the threat of traffic gridlock are just a few of the many challenges cities face. In this age of radical change, intelligent strategies are required: urban centers can reinvent themselves as smart cities – and make themselves fit for the future.

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T he first cities in human history had illustrious names: Jericho, Uruk and Troy were astonishing places for any visitor in a sparsely populated world

of hunters, gatherers and farmers. Those seeking work, better living conditions or education moved from the countryside to the cities. Still today, hope of a more pleas-ant life continues to drive rural-urban migration.

It is a rising trend, as urban life has now changed from the exception to the rule. Up to the middle of the 20th century, just 30 percent of the world’s population lived in cities; today at 54 percent it is more than half. By the year 2050 we will have seen an exact reversal in the ratio of rural to urban residents within just one hundred years: an-alysts from the United Nations (UN) forecast a global urban population of around 70 percent by that time.

The majority of the growth is expected to take place in developing and emerging countries in Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and Asia. In China alone, as early as 2020 there could be over 120 more urban agglomera-tions with over a million residents, including several megacities.

Where does a megacity begin?

The explosive growth of cities that humankind is currently experiencing is a relatively new phenomenon in historical terms. The first megacities by the current definition – cities with over ten million residents – only came about in the 20th century as a result of industrialization. Currently UN statisticians count 22 megacities, the majority of which are in Asia and Latin America, with Moscow as continental Eu-rope’s only megacity. By 2050 the number of megacities is expected to rise to 41.

New terms have had to be invented to classify such rap-idly growing settlements: a mega-metropolitan area, for example, describes a densely populated, polycentric area made up of several core cities and their directly adjacent suburbs, so this includes a region like the Rhine-Ruhr, which has almost 10 million residents, and the Greater Los Angeles Area, with 13 to 18 million inhabitants (depend-ing on the counting method).

A metacity or hypercity refers to a massive sprawling agglomeration of more than 20 million people. Tokyo is

In the Cheonggyecheon restoration project, the South Korean capital of Seoul removed a high-way that had been built in the 1970s and created a recreation area popular among residents and tourists alike.

considered the first metacity. Its agglomeration exceeded this population count as early as the 1960s. Today the Pearl River Delta in China leads the statistics: almost 46.5 million people live in the region around Guangzhou, which includes highly populated cities such as Dongguan, Foshan, Jiangmen, Shenzhen and Zhongshan.

For the newcomers, urban life promises fresh and unique opportunities. Yet for the urban infrastructure, the massive population influx presents an enormous burden – one that many cities struggle to bear. The traffic volume rises because more and more workers commute from the peripheral areas into the city center. Insufficient parking and traffic jams cost time, money and patience, pollute the environment and di-minish people’s quality of life. So what can be done?

The concept of the car-friendly city – described by the automaker General Motors at the 1939 New York World’s Fair and implemented on a massive scale, for example in the United States, or in Germany when cities were rebuilt after the Second World War – has proven to be unsustain-able for some time now: multi-lane ring roads and main roads, elevated roads and highways running right through the city only create further incentive for people to travel by car. Radically new ideas are therefore needed to tackle the increasingly difficult challenge facing transport planners: how to provide mobility for more and more people in an increasingly crowded urban space.

The city of the future is smart

Smart cities, which combine innovative solutions for mobility, sustainable energy and use of space into an

overall concept and create an attractive living space in spite of increasing population density, could play a part in this development and help to manage growth in ur-ban areas. The term smart city does not have an explicit definition, but it basically describes a clever combina-tion of functional urban infrastructure, social structures and innovative technology. Put simply, smart cities use the spaces and resources available as efficiently as pos-sible in order to provide an attractive, safe and clean place to live.

From their experiences with car-friendly cities, urban and transport planners have come to recognize that build-ing more roads only results in more car and motorcycle traffic – along with all the associated costs. On the other hand, by creating public space, a safe environment for pe-destrians and cyclists, and access to efficient public trans-port systems, it is possible to promote sustainable mobility while also taking into consideration individual situations and the needs of the people in cities.

The South Korean capital of Seoul is a good example: the city developed a strategy for “green growth” that was implemented through the Cheonggyecheon restoration project. In 2003 the city government decided to remove a highway that had been built in the 1970s above a stream running through the center of the city. By restoring the stream the city not only revived the historic legacy of the area, it also created a central business district. Today Cheonggyecheon is a popular local recreation area for residents and tourists alike. Combined with investment in public transport, the project helped to improve mobility in downtown Seoul.

For decades bicycles have played an important role as a means of local transport in Copenhagen.

Bus rapid transport (BRT) has proven its value in Bogota as an economic means of transport capable of high capacities.

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special solutions such as a high-quality, high-capacity bus rapid transit (BRT) systems are proving their value. Install-ing separate bus lanes is more cost-effective than building a metro network, but it also brings added benefits: the buses can drive right past traffic jams, they always get the right of way at traffic lights, and they can maintain a more frequent service.

The framework has to be right

Of course, any solution requires sufficient investment in sustainable infrastructure. India, for instance, intends to pump an estimated $300 billion into urban infrastructure over the next 20 years. Yet allocating funds is not the only issue here. The plans must also be linked to concrete solutions using mass transit systems such as BRT and metros that can be integrated effectively into land-use concepts.

Rapid MetroRail Gurgaon is a positive example of this. The six-kilometer-long Gurgaon metro line in the region around Delhi, built and equipped entirely by Siemens, be-gan passenger operation at the end of 2013. Its route links the business and residential district of Gurgaon Cyber City, roughly 30 kilometers south of central Delhi, to the capi-tal’s metro network, and is now being extended a further seven kilometers to the south. The Gurgaon line is de-signed to handle around 30,000 passengers per hour – and this is necessary, since around two million commuters use the metro in India’s second-largest city every day.

Similar programs to promote public transport for sus-tainable urban development can be found in countries like

The six-kilometer-long Gurgaon metro line in the region around Delhi is designed to handle around 30,000 passengers per hour.

Are we in danger of urban gridlock? By 2050 there will be around

9.5 billion people living on Earth, with roughly 6.5 billion in urban centers.

The Danish capital of Copenhagen has extensive experi-ence with such processes: Back in 1947 the city came up with a development plan, called the Finger Plan, focused on public transport. The aim was to develop transport lines going out in different directions from a densely built-up center, like the five fingers of a hand. Over the years that have followed, the Copenhagen planners have implement-ed and continued to develop their vision. The bicycle has become an additional focus and Copenhagen has made targeted investments in public transport. Today, in addi-tion to efficient inner-city transport, it has a rapid-transit

system reaching far into the surrounding area that is being systematically expanded and modernized (see page 32).

In other parts of the world, where urban space and finances are tighter and the pressure to expand is greater,

Continued on page 24


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How poetic can a railway station be? The Nuremberg-based photographer Christian Höhn was hired by the DB Museum to travel across five continents and take special portraits of stations.

The Poetry of Railway Stations

R ailway stations are transport hubs and travel destinations, places of parting and reunion – and sometimes settings for literature. Following

in the footsteps of globally renowned authors such as Mark Twain, Ingeborg Bachmann and Leo Tolstoy, the Nuremberg-based photographer Christian Höhn set off on a journey to document some of these settings.

The photographer became known for his impres-sive, hyper-realistic, large-format panoramas of megacities. His use of a high-definition analog cam-era, very long exposure times and a view from above make movements become blurred and instill the scenes with a certain magic, beyond the hustle and bustle of daily life.

Now he has turned his attention to train stations: Höhn spent ten months traveling through five conti-nents to shed light on train stations that have pro-vided the backdrop for episodes in world literature. Inspired by Mark Twain’s humorous account Climbing

the Riffelberg, for instance, he traveled to the Swiss canton of Valais and captured a fairy-tale night scene: at a height of 3,089 meters, Gornegrat is the terminal station of the Gornegrat Railway, a rack railway from Zermatt to Gornegrat via Riffelberg that opened in 1898.

Getting a view from above is no problem in the Alps. However, for the photo of Tarcoola Railway Station in the flatlands of the Australian outback, at the junction of the single-track east-west line of the Trans-Australian Railway and the Central Australia Railway, Höhn had to rent a motorhome with an extra-high, accessible roof. From this perspective – at a height of around five meters – he shot the impres-sive station photo.

Nuremberg’s DB Museum is presenting some of the four-square-meter prints and light boxes until June 21, 2015, in its exhibition “One Station – Poesie der Bahnhöfe.”

King’s Cross St. Pancras, 2014,Lightjet print, Diasec, 172 x 215.4 cm

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, 2014, Lightjet print, Diasec, 166 x 238.1 cm


Christian Höhn, a freelance photographer since 1994, is known for his large-format, hyper-realistic photographs of megacities. His latest photograph series One Station is documented in the book One Station – Poesie der Bahnhöfe, 64 pages, published by Verlag für moderne Kunst, www.vfmk.de.

Tokyo Station, 2014, Duratrans, Diasec, LED light box, 180 x 229.3 x 19 cm

Centerfold, overleaf:Grand Central Terminal, 2014, Duratrans, Diasec,LED light box, 180 x 222 x19 cm

Cover:Cape Town Railway Station, 2014, Duratrans, Diasec,LED light box, 180 x 227.6 x 19 cm

Grand Central Terminal on the corner of 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Manhattan, often called Grand Central Station after its predecessor, was opened in 1913 and holds the title of the world’s largest railway station, with 44 platforms and 67 tracks spread over two levels. It is listed as a historic landmark due to its architectural significance. Today it serves exclusively commuter transport.

Grand Central Terminal on the corner of 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Manhattan, often called Grand Central Station after its predecessor, was opened in 1913 and holds the title of the world’s largest railway station, with 44 platforms and 67 tracks spread over two levels. It is listed as a historic landmark due to its architectural significance. Today it serves exclusively commuter transport.

China, Brazil and Mexico. However, only a few agglomera-tions have the opportunity to redesign their transport sys-tems from the ground up and equip them with the latest technology. One such city is Riyadh, where six metro lines are currently being worked on simultaneously (see page 28). Starting next year in Doha, the capital of Qatar, 19 catenary-free Avenio trams will be operating on a route of 11.5 kilometers with 25 stations. High-performance air-conditioning systems and special roof insulation will pro-tect the passengers from the strong sunlight and high out-side temperatures. Siemens is equipping the vehicles with the HES hybrid energy storage system that charges the batteries even while pausing briefly at the tram stops and can recuperate up to 30 percent of the energy used through regenerative braking.

The “last mile” tips the balance

If public transport became more efficient, many of today’s drivers could do without their cars altogether – at least in the agglomerations themselves. Indeed, public transport could function so well in the future that extensive car-free urban areas could be possible. But how can public modes of transport be made attractive even for die-hard car drivers – aside from creating a dense, well-established public trans-port network?

People care about their personal convenience, which is why diversity is the best solution to the mobility challenge: some journeys are best made on foot, others with your own bicycle or a rented one. The convenience of a journey from your own front door also plays a part in car sharing

of vehicles of various sizes, as well as metros and trams. Particular attention must therefore be paid to the “last mile” of public transport: the part of the journey that gets you to the nearest train, bus or bicycle rental station and that should not be longer than a couple of hundred me-ters. A smart city package therefore includes well-planned cycle paths, pedestrianized zones and transport stops, but also sensible funding components and official permits – for things like bike sharing or rickshaw taxi services.

The bicycle rental system Velowspace operates with Siemens technology.

In city centers autonomous cars might even be used as short-distance taxis for the last mile – the concept is already technically feasible today.

In the Netherlands, for example, the bike rental agency OV-Fiets has already installed its innovative rental sys-tem Velowspace at 95 locations. Up to 24 bicycles can be rented out and brought back around the clock at the weather- and vandalism-protected rental machines, which are controlled using Siemens technology. Inside the round Velowspace container a carousel turns a bicycle

The Avenio trams for Doha, the capital of Qatar, are put through extensive climatic testing.

Continued from page 17


or a free space toward the automatically controlled door, depending on whether a bicycle is being rented or brought back. When Velowspace is installed at mobility hubs such as train station forecourts, it becomes simpler and more convenient for travelers to change from one form of transport to a bicycle, whether spontaneously or as part of their planned journey.

Such measures do not only add value for people who do not own their own car: Good connections and short distances are of particular benefit to people with reduced mobility – and senior citizens. In many countries people are living considerably longer than they used to, and the over-70s age group is growing all the time. Since elderly people in urban areas travel primarily on foot and with public transport, barrier-free travel has become a standard requirement. Many analysts agree that current social developments will almost inevitably lead to more environ-mentally friendly mobility in metropolitan areas – not from one day to the next, but in the long term.

Mobility’s sustainability factor

Quality of life in cities also depends on protecting the envi-ronment. In many countries electrification of vehicle drive systems is already underway, not just on rail networks but also on the roads. Electric buses, such as those currently running on the new Innovation Line in central Hamburg, are a significant building block for sustainable urban mo-bility. These electric hybrid buses with Volvo plug-in tech-nology run in electric mode for 70 percent of the route on average, make very little noise and cause no local emis-

sions. They receive power from a Siemens charging sys-tem; the charging process at the end stations takes no more than six minutes.

The Swedish cities of Gothenburg and Stockholm are also going electric. A one-year test phase in Gothenburg has shown that hybrid electric buses reduce fuel consump-tion and carbon dioxide emissions by up to 75 percent compared to Euro 6 diesel buses; total energy consump-tion can be cut by around 60 percent. And in Stockholm, since March of this year Volvo buses and Siemens’ charg-ing technology have been in operation on Line 73 between Popsten and Karolinska Institutet.

The example of China reveals how important the every-day suitability of electric vehicles is for a mass market. The country already has over 120 million electric scooters running on its roads – quietly, efficiently and without emissions. Clearly private electro mobility cannot answer all urban transport issues. The daily congestion may turn into a “clean” traffic jam, but the actual problem remains. In inner cities private cars must therefore receive a second-ary status. However, the intelligently networked digital car can belong to the mobility mix of the future. Driving assistance and Car2X systems (see page 4), as precursors to autonomous vehicles, already increase safety signifi-cantly today while also helping road traffic to flow.

The smart city is digital

Aside from smart traffic control systems, which can auto-matically intervene in how traffic is managed depending on environmental or traffic conditions, urban life can

In March of this year, a bus line with electric buses went into service in the Swedish capital of Stockholm.

When unexpected disruptions occur, the Controlguide OCS can

minimize operational disruptions through the use of intelligent

planning functions.

The new electro hybrid buses in Hamburg’s city center power up at quick charging stations from Siemens.


be improved on a personal level through information and communication technology (ICT). E-government programs form a direct link between citizens and authorities. Using various smartphone applications, citizens can keep an eye on environmental data, improve their energy efficiency or find a nearby parking space (page 34). ICT ensures access to information about the best routes, the best mode of transport, traffic jams, the next bus, cycle paths and foot-paths though the city and much more besides. Modern smart card systems for paying fares go beyond the public transport network and can be used for a broad range of services – from local and regional public transport to car sharing and parking fees. In some Chinese cities this has been possible for years; in Europe numerous new projects are underway.

Digital technology and the Internet, data transfer via radio and smartphone apps have ensured that the mo-bile society is already in the midst of transition. Even the over-70s of the future will be more comfortable with the convenience of smartphone technology at their fingertips than the generation who came before them. There is no doubt that digitalization and automation increase the availability of urban mobility, raise the capacity of modes of transport, and bring about a new passenger experience. ■

Mobility as an economic factor: in 2010,

€6,400 billion were spent on transporting people and goods worldwide – that is almost €1,000 for each person on Earth.


28 move como 14 | May 2015

Sleepless in Riyadh

You have been involved in the Riyadh project from the beginning. What were the crucial measures and steps for making the right start?The most important phase was the start-up phase where we define the execution plan and strategy, including the baseline time schedule. A crucial aspect was the dedica-tion of the project team when the workload was high and the resources still limited due to the ongoing mobilization. These people have been an-other key to pass the ramp-up phase. We’ve now reached our cruising speed, though we have to remind ourselves that usually the most difficult time is the construction phase.

Sebastien Gilson, Project Manager, Belgium

Your task is to ensure compliance with the con-tract and to coordinate changes. Is that some-thing that requires steady nerves?Given the sheer size of the Riyadh Metro Project, the number and location of contributors – lots, subcon-tractors and suppliers – and environmental condi-tions bring a number of challenges on many levels. These challenges come from a multitude of inter-faces, each and every one with their own idiosyncra-sies that have to be dealt with in a clear and stable way.

Graham Donald, Contract Manager, Scotland You have successfully

completed many rail projects worldwide. What is different about this large-scale project in Riyadh, and what is the same?Significant challenges stem from the fact that, in total, six metro lines are being constructed simultaneous-ly, which puts enormous strain on the Riyadh city in-frastructure. Furthermore, the challenges and rewards of working with a multi-na-tional, multi-cultural team are similar the world over. Sensitivity to cultural differ-ences and beliefs are key to fostering a harmonious environment.

Dave Bush, Project Director, England

Riyadh Metro is your first project at Siemens, and you are coordinating all seven Siemens project teams. What challenges are you facing?One of the largest chal-lenges is to create one team out of the various Siemens entities involved. This in-cludes getting all people all over the world to share the same ways of working and the same objectives. For this, we have to set up communication tools in order to share the same understanding of the proj-ect situation with all inter-nal stakeholders.

Gregoire Renie, Deputy Project Director, France

Six subway lines with a total length of 176 kilometers – Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh is planning the world’s largest metro project to serve its 5.7 million residents. Siemens is supplying the entire turnkey system for the driverless subway lines 1 and 2, which together cover 63 kilometers. The project includes the metro trains, electrification, signal and communication technology for driverless operation, and integrating the rail tech-nology systems in a consortium with the U.S. firm Bechtel, Almabani and CCC (BACS Consortium). The Siemens project team has members from all over the world – como captures their impressions and reveals some of the background to this exciting project.


You have been living and working in Saudi Arabia for a while, and now your family has joined you. How would you compare your new home with Portugal? Professionally, the challeng-es are similar to any other project with the diversity of stakeholders that this one has. On the other hand there are some small de-tails, for example the issue of weekends being on Fri-days and Saturdays. It is still common for me to call the offices in Europe on Sunday to take care of business is-sues. Apart from these small culture differences I feel com-pletely at home in Riyadh.

Ricardo Soares, Project Manager Rail Electrification, Portugal

You have been in Riyadh for a few months now. How would you personal-ly describe the current transport structures and habits?The current traffic situa-tion is dominated by traffic jams. As there is no public transportation available, people rely on their own cars. Streets here are very well maintained and new; however, it is just too much to cope with. Our metro system will bring a huge relief to the city and people of Riyadh.

Benjamin Polan, Project Management Assistant, Germany

What is special about RMP compared to your former signalling projects?The number of stakeholders involved in this mega turn-key project is exceptional – teams from France, Germa-ny and Riyadh are working on the job. The most excit-ing part will be when the main subsystems come to-gether for the first time. In Wildenrath we will install our CBTC system to have it tested together with the Inspiro trains coming from Vienna and the platform screen doors supplied from Singapore.

Juan Jover, Lot manager Signalling, Spain

You coordinate schedules and deadlines among the multinational consor-tium. What is important for you when working with such a variety of people?As a member of a multicul-tural team, I am faced with the challenge of how to minimize coordination loss-es due to communication problems, varying work styles, language differences and sometime misunder-standings. It is important to take into consideration the country of origin. But, I have to note that a multi-cultural team is bringing a wide range of experience due to the multiple perspec-tives to solve problems.

Wissam Rammal, Scheduler, Lebanon


Electric trains are generally among the most efficient means of travel, but unfortunately the transport infra-structure often comes up against its capacity limits. Proven technologies and IT-supported solutions from Siemens can help to make better use of the available capacities – even once systems are already in use.

metroDigital

31como 14 | May 2015 move

E very day commuters all over the world are coming to the realization that public transport systems in and around major cities are increasingly being stretched

to their limits. Whether due to environmental concerns or simply to avoid time-consuming traffic jams on the roads – the number of rail commuters is growing steadily. As a re-sult, subway and metro systems, although they are among the most efficient of all modes of transport, often struggle to absorb the constantly rising flow of passengers. Yet ex-panding the infrastructure not only costs a lot of time and money, in many cases it is not even possible.

The solution lies in the digitalization and automation of rail operations. For example, intelligent train control sys-tems enable existing lines to carry more passengers while also increasing safety and reliability, and reducing the op-erator’s energy and maintenance costs.

It comes down to the thoroughly proven principle of au-tomatic block signaling: If several trains are traveling one behind the other on the same line, they must constantly keep a safe minimum distance apart. With the convention-al “fixed block” method, the line is divided into fixed blocks that are guarded by stationary trackside signals. When a train drives into a block, the entire length of the block is barred to all other trains by the rearward signal. Only when the front train is known to have left this block is a follow-ing train permitted to enter it. The drawback is that these fixed blocks largely determine the times between the trains, known as headways.

CBTC solves many problems

“Modern interactive signaling systems such as Trainguard MT from Siemens work with the moving block method and control the trains via radio using Communications-based Train Control (CBTC),” says Andreas Schwarte, Senior Key Expert Metro Design & Architecture at Siemens Mobility Management in Braunschweig. The moving block method

does without fixed sections of track and stationary signals. The required distance between two trains is calculated by taking the braking distance at the current speed and add-ing a safety margin. This margin is constantly recalculated during the journey and directly transmitted to the train control, which automatically keeps the following train at bay. The trains stay in motion, and because the block moves along with the trains, the headways can be kept to a minimum and services can run more frequently. “Not only does this method allow headways as short as 75 sec-onds, it also means the service frequency can be flexibly adjusted to suit the current passenger volume,” says Schwarte.

If the vehicles are also fitted with Automatic Train Oper-ation (ATO), the driver gives the signal to depart, and can intervene in case of danger, but the automation takes care of the journey between the stations and determines exact-ly where to stop at the platform. The system is particularly energy efficient: Using the stored route profile, it constant-ly calculates how it should accelerate the train, and how it can maintain the shortest succession of trains to the fol-lowing train while consuming as little energy as possible – while still arriving at the next station on time. Whereas human drivers occasionally press the brake too hard and then accelerate more, an ATO system can reduce the ener-gy required by up to 30 percent while maintaining the same journey time.

Modernizing while the wheels keep rolling

Because CBTC systems directly relay all essential informa-tion to the train via radio, conventional trackside signals are no longer required. Naturally, equipment that is not there requires zero maintenance, so overall the train con-trol maintenance costs are lower. For new metro projects such as the driverless subway in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh (see page 28), CBTC-based signal and communi-

Intermittent train control with fixed-block operation

Automatic train operation with Trainguard MT

Continuous train control with the moving-block principle

Balise antenna Balise antennaEurobalise Eurobalise

Point machine Point machineAxle counter Axle counter


cation technology is therefore the first choice. But how can an existing metro system be brought up to date? After all, no operator can afford to put their metro lines out of ser-vice for a couple of months.

“Generally we modernize ‘while the wheels keep rolling,’ by which we mean the services are still running,” says Schwarte. During the day the trains run as normal; at night when there is no service the necessary work is carried out on the line. “Nevertheless, migration strategies are very complex and always adapted to the specific situation. There is no predefined process.” Ideally the new CBTC sys-tem can be operated in parallel with the original train con-trol system. If both systems are functional, the vehicles can also be equipped with the new technology piece by piece – so up to day zero of the migration there is a mixed service of trains in operation.

In most cases the operation control centers are also modernized accordingly. For instance, a few years ago part of the subway system operated by New York City Transit (NYCT) received a completely new integrated control cen-ter with an automatic train supervision (ATS) system. It controls 172 stations, 45 interlockings, 46 central engi-neering rooms, 1,758 operated units and 4,811 display units for up to 200 train movements at a time on 175 kilo-meters of track. Roughly one third of all subway stations are controlled remotely from the operation control center in Manhattan. This migration to Trainguard MT was also carried out while the wheels kept rolling.

“In Istanbul we took a different route,” says Schwarte. The task in the Turkish capital, which has 15 million residents, was to very rapidly extend the existing M1 line, a crucial link for traveling into the city, and also take this opportunity to modernize the line. “For time reasons the line extension was initially equipped with a more simple system. Then all vehicles and finally the entire line were upgraded to CBTC.”

Self-contained metro systems are not the only candi-dates for such modernization projects, as shown by the

example of Copenhagen’s rapid-transit system, operated by Banedanmark, which runs on a network of numerous lines with shared routes extending far into the surrounding region. Schwarte says: “Here the existing vehicles first have the new system installed in addition to the current one. Then the route is modernized one section at a time and these sections each switch to the new system once they are finished. The notable aspect in this case is that, once the migration is complete, all trackside signals are unin-stalled, as they are no longer needed.”

Change all – or upgrade instead?

Generally it is no problem to equip existing metro trains with a modern CBTC system. “If it makes sense to modernize the control technology, in most cases new powered bogies are required for better acceleration, plus regenerative brak-ing systems to recoup some of the energy lost when braking – which in turn often requires a modernized power supply. So often the package of measures starts to add up.” For this reason, many operators choose to invest in new vehicles when planning such a major overhaul. Instead of the sepa-rate, closed cars that used to be standard, today there is a demand for continuous cars with broad doors – these enable a quick passenger interchange at the stations, which is essential for achieving shorter headways. “For some time now the trend has also been heading toward driverless sys-tems, which allow the trains to be operated in a much more flexible manner,” Schwarte explains. “For example, if there’s a major event or a sudden increase in passenger volume, additional vehicles can quickly be inserted into the service and then taken out again without having to change the driv-ers’ schedules.”

The fact that a mix of manually driven and driverless trains is also feasible where necessary was demonstrated several years ago by the Rubin project in Nuremberg. The year of parallel operation in 2010, with the conventionally

With the Trainguard MT train control system, different degrees of automation are possible for metros, such as the driverless systems in Algiers and New York, or unattended operation in Hong Kong.

driven U2 trains and the automatic U3 trains on the main line, was a particular feature of Germany’s first driverless subway system. The project is still regarded as proof that upgrading from conventional to automatic operation is possible without interrupting service – an attractive option for cities that want to automate their existing subway systems step by step.

The advantages of Trainguard MT did not escape the metro operator ViaQuatro from the Brazilian city of São Paulo, which has a population of 11 million. ViaQuatro installed Latin America’s first-ever driverless subway system on São Paulo’s Line 4 and equipped it with CBTC-based control and communication technology from Siemens. The line extends the metro network of the continent’s largest metropolitan area by 11 stations and a length of 12.8 kilometers, and connects with the ex-isting lines 1, 2 and 3.

Fully automatic operation remains a growing trend worldwide. More and more public transport providers are choosing this option for their modernizations and new construction projects, and they are thereby making an investment in the future – for more efficiency, high-er flexibility and greater appeal. ■

Web Based Diagnostics: finding errors more quickly

Digitalization has been an everyday part of rail transport for some time now: there are around 200 networked control units in Siemens rail vehicles. Ralf Beyer, Automation Techni-cian and Systems Architect at Siemens Mobility in Erlangen, has developed a web-based service for rail vehicles that allows wireless access to control units using a tablet or smartphone.

In this line of work the primary goal is to diagnose any technical problems and predict failures before they occur. Yet the technology of modern rail vehicles is no longer centrally located in bulky control cabinets; it is distributed throughout the train, integrated into the walls so that every spare centi-meter inside the vehicle can be used to make the interior more comfortable.

In the case of Ralf Beyer’s service, Web Based Diagnostics, the software is directly integrated into the components where it is always kept up to date. The technician simply logs into the vehicle’s network using a browser on a tablet or smartphone – providing they have the correct login details – and from there they can search for and rectify errors. Ralf Beyer’s invention is being installed for the first time in the fleets of the Thameslink (UK), ICx (Germany) and Desiro ÖBB (Austria).

Innovating for rail

Siemens technology never comes to a standstill: last year the company registered around 4,300 patents worldwide, and many of these were innovations in mobility. Twelve Siemens researchers and developers received the honor of “Inventor of the Year 2014.” The following invention is a typical example of the ongoing digitalization of rail transport.



It’s a situation almost every driver knows: parking spaces in major cities are becoming hard to find – whether on main roads, side streets or easily accessible parking structures. Aided by a new radar system from Siemens,

S m a r t e r p a r k i n g


road users will soon be able to receive informa-tion on free parking spaces in real time via an app or navigation device – another step toward smart urban structures.

S m a r t e r p a r k i n g


Route planner apps and navigation systems can use this information to help drivers find parking and thereby reduce search times.

The radar sensors that are part of the Smart Parking Solution monitor the parking situation from a height of several meters and relay occupancy information to a control center.

S earching for a place to park is a nuisance. Finally you arrive at your destination only to realize there are no spaces to be found. Then the tiresome ritual

begins: driving endlessly around the block, hoping you will be able to leave the car somewhere close to where you are going – as you start to run low on time, fuel and patience.

The statistics tell a clear story. According to a recent international study on parking management, looking for a parking space takes an average of almost ten minutes in Germany, and as much as 15 minutes in Italy. Each search involves an average drive of around 4.5 kilometers, which causes 1.3 kilos of CO₂ to be released into the atmo-sphere unnecessarily. Surveys have also shown that, at any given time, around 30 percent of all drivers in con-gested inner cities are searching for somewhere to park. In particularly afflicted urban districts the distance trav-eled during these searches each year adds up to 14 trips all the way around the earth.

Siemens has now developed a parking management solution that allows cities to tackle the increasing short-age of parking spaces. With this solution, which will be tested for the first time starting this summer in a pilot project in Berlin, road users are effortlessly informed of free parking spaces on the roadside between their initial location and their destination. Various sensor types and technologies are integrated into a smart parking manage-ment system that can be optimally adjusted to the indi-vidual requirements of any urban area, enabling munici-palities to make intelligent use of the parking options at their disposal.

Finding parking spaces with radar eyes

At the core of the Smart Parking Solution is newly devel-oped overhead radar sensor technology that constantly monitors parking facilities from a height of several meters

and relays occupancy information to a control center. These sensors can easily be installed on or in streetlights, so there is no need to interfere with the infrastructure as a power supply is already available. Yet the resulting infor-mation is more precise and informative than with floor sensors, for example, which can only report that a space is “free” or “occupied.” The radar sensors not only indicate whether there is an object on the parking space, they also provide information on the position and size of the vehicle. The overhead system even recognizes blocked cycle and bus lanes or improperly used spaces at e-car charging sta-tions, so illegally parked vehicles can be quickly detected.

Since they operate high above the level of the traffic, the sensors can be integrated into street lamp casings and remain practically invisible, making any deliberate damage highly unlikely. The sensor readings are sent over the mobile network to the control center where the data is analyzed, current parking space occupancy is calculat-ed, and the information is prepared for services such as a parking space app. Route planner apps and infrastruc-ture-based or in-car navigation systems can also use this information to reduce drivers’ search times and ease the traffic situation.

What makes the Smart Parking Solution special is that the software learns as it operates. It recognizes when a parking situation is repeated at certain times, combines statistical and real-time data, and makes forecasts that can help drivers to get an idea of how easy or difficult parking will be when they arrive at their destination. The solution also assists users in selecting a suitable mode of transport: with information on the time required to get a parking space and the walking distance to the destination, drivers may opt in advance to use a park & ride system on the edge of the city or even leave the car at home and take public transport. So urban infrastructure can certainly be used more effectively and deliberately protected against overload.


Innovative technology

• Overhead sensors, installed as stand-alone units or integrated into street lamp casings for protection

• In addition to actual parking spaces, the sensors cover no-parking areas such as emergency vehicle exits, tram lines, etc.

• Authentication of authorized and unauthorized users via RFID technology (resident and disabled parking)

• Possibility of automatic payment• Communication network transmits data to the

control center • Possibility of additional services such as adaptive

light management based on the actual traffic volume

Benefits

• Less searching, improved traffic flow, reduced congestion

• Statistical and real-time information on parking vacancies

• Intelligent usage of infrastructure• Simplified parking data collection at a reduced cost• Possibility of convenient cashless parking via

automated, up-to-the-minute billing• Safer traffic with efficient enforcement of illegal

parking activities• Usage of smart parking infrastructure and data for

additional traffic management applications • Transparent forecasts on available parking and time

required may encourage drivers to switch to public transport

Smart parking at a glance

A first step toward smart cities

As a modular, infrastructure-based sensor system, the smart parking solution uses the Internet of Things platform from the U.S. firm Intel for communication between the sensors and the control center – thus forming the basis for a sensor and communication network that is suitable for future smart city concepts. If an RFID solution is added to the network, it will enable functions such as automatic

checking of user-specific authorization, for example with resident parking spaces, or up-to-the-minute calculation and billing of parking fees.

The Siemens Smart Parking Solution even goes a step further: a whole series of additional applications is feasi-ble, including traffic management support, adaptive light management, emissions data analysis and retail-sponsored city services. The result is a “smart” and innovative city with intelligent control systems. ■

Smart parking in the test phase: the sensors can be hidden in street lamp casings.

Positioned high above the street, the sensors are protected from harm; they can be affixed to light posts, for example.

38 connect como 14 | May 2015

Smart technologies to protect valuable resources, sustainability, climate protection, smart transport management strategies for tomorrow’s sustainable

mobility – these have been core issues at Siemens for over 160 years. If present and future transport problems are to be effectively solved, however, the need for revolutionary ideas is greater than ever.

Ideas to solve tomorrow’s transport challenges

Last year the “Siemens Mobility IDEA Contest – Improving Design and Engineering for All” was started. It was the first contest of its kind where creative thinkers world-wide could present innovations to improve the world of mobility.

Participants from 43 countries initially showcased their ideas on a website. Selected proposals were then re-

viewed, substantiated and optimized with Siemens experts in a coaching phase. Next, during a collaboration phase, visitors to the website could leave comments and ratings and discuss benefits, drawbacks and potential improve-ments with the innovators. Only the top-rated proposals made it through the subsequent pairwise comparison phase, where website visitors had the opportunity to com-pare and rate pairs of ideas against each other. Fewer than 15 ideas were rated highly enough to enter the prepara-tion phase, and these were finally presented to the jury panel, made up of Siemens managers, industry experts and potential users.

The jury ultimately selected three innovative ideas, offering solutions for tomorrow’s mobility challenges that can already be implemented using current technology. The concept of using smart drone technology to find parking spaces impressed the jury the most in this pio-neering contest.

Ideas for the futureThe world of mobility is growing increasingly complex, and traffic problems are becoming more urgent. It is time for some fresh ideas. Contests and partnerships often serve as a way to tap into creative minds.

Smart Parking Lot Using a Quadcopter Network1st

place

Quadcopters communicate wirelessly to provide accurate data

Quadcopter locates the best available space using image processing algorithms and finds the shortest path to that spot Technology guides cars to

the optimal spot based on time and location

The use of thermal/infrared cameras allows quadcopters to work and fly at night

Quadcopter scans for a disabled parking permit and guides the car to an open spot

Quadcopter monitors for suspicious activity and occupant heatstroke

39como 14 | May 2015 connect

1st place: Smart parking with quadcopter support

Amir Ehsani Zonouz suggests using a swarm of autonomous quadcopters (mini helicopters with four rotors) to find free spaces in large parking lots and detect cars as they arrive and guide them efficiently to the nearest free space. The benefit: The process would significantly cut the time and energy spent searching for spaces, particularly in large parking lots. Since it would not require any major roadside infrastructure, it is a cost-effective solution.

2nd place: Pedestrian safety systemSakib Khan wants to create a future car2infrastructure environ-ment where pedestrians carry wearables (electronic wrist bands or smart watches) that communicate with appropriately equipped vehicles. People or pets without wearables would be detected by stationary roadside sensors.The benefit: The required urban infrastructure will be available in

the foreseeable future. It would then be simple to implement this application and significantly improve pedestrian safety.

3rd place: Self-parking autonomous vehiclesSasan Amini wants to create a car2infrastructure environment where free parking spaces on the street and in parking lots are communicated to au-tonomous vehicles. The cars would drop off their driver, guide themselves to the most suitable park-ing space, and pick up the driver later at a defined meeting point.The benefit: The process would considerably reduce traffic caused by people searching for park-ing spaces in cities. The technology is available: several automakers already offer automatic park-ing. Although autonomous vehicles are currently only street legal in a few countries, the process could initially be implemented solely within park-ing lots.

Siemens Mobility IDEA Contest: the winners

Future Tram – new ideas for the streetcar

In Germany, Siemens also regularly participates in projects with partners such as universities. For example, Siemens Mobility and the Insti-tute for Rail Vehicles at RWTH Aachen Universi-ty are project partners in the Future Tram idea contest, which started in mid-April.

Employees and students at RWTH Aachen can submit their ideas in the categories of “Trams and People,” “Trams and the City” and “Trams and Technology.” Those who come up with the five best ideas receive cash prizes and have the op-portunity to further develop their concepts at a three-day workshop with Siemens experts. One thing is for sure: the results are of benefit to all transport users. ■

Wearable devices like smart-watches or fitness bands commu-nicate with connected vehicles to alert the drivers to pedestrians Mobile apps help communicate

with the surrounding environment and warn drivers

In case pedestrians are not wearing connected devices, roadside sensors detect movement and alert vehicles

Safe Pedestrian Crossing

2nd

place

Self-Parking Autonomous Vehicles

Autonomous vehicles save time by dropping the driver off before parking, then returning to a pickup location at a predetermined timeProximity/occupancy sensors

monitor spaces and guide vehicles to the best available parking spot

3rd

place


como Facts, Trends and Stories on Integrated MobilityPublisher: Siemens AG · Mobility Division, Munich Editor: Stephan Allgöwer Siemens AG · Mobility Division · CommunicationsEditing:Eberhard Buhl, www.presse-team.deEnglish translation: Paul Sabin, Alexander ChavezPhotographs: Christian Höhn from the series “One Station” pp. 1, 18–23 · iStockphoto pp. 4, 14, 16 left, 34/35 · Deutsches Institut für Urbanistik pp. 8, 11 · Corbis pp. 15, 16 center, 30All other photos: Siemens AG Concept & layout: Agentur Feedback, Munichwww.agentur-feedback.dePrinting: Gutenberg Beuys, LangenhagePrinted in GermanyCopyright: © Siemens AG 2015All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or used without express prior permission. Subject to technical modifications.The information in this document contains general descriptions of the technical possibilities. These may not apply in every case.www.siemens.com/[email protected] 2190-0329 FB como e 14|2015 161011 ZS05154.5Dispo No.: 21701Order No.: MOCG-M10003-00-7600

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