Driver Assistance System for Trams: Smart Tram in Smart Cities

Mobility in smart cities is also becoming smart, promoting on the one hand transport modes based on zero-emission electrical technologies and on the other providing vehicles with technological solutions that support the drivers in driving operations. In the cities, more and more cars today are equipped with autonomous driving systems, based on Sensor Fusion Perception platforms, which aim to improve road safety and reduce accidents, to halve accident deaths in the shortest possible time. On the other hand, the sustainability objectives also shift to increasingly intense use of public transport with zero emissions, such as that offered by trams. Trams, unlike the other rail transport systems, use the same road infrastructure as cars, motorbikes, bikes, and pedestrians and will soon find themselves interacting with vehicles with increasingly higher autonomous driving levels. It is clear, therefore, that even for trams, the time is ripe to accommodate driving support systems. In this document, an overview is provided of the potential for the diffusion of advanced driver assistance systems by the automotive sector, in order to then evaluate their porting to trams, with the ultimate goal of increasing their level of safety and automation.