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The first Pilsen trams have been equipped this year with a system that was tested just two years ago at the turning loop near the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen as part of the Didymos project. The anti-collision technology can warn the driver of an obstacle in time and, in extreme cases, apply the brakes automatically. The very fact that this cautious step toward autonomy has made it out of testing and into real operation is seen by Lukáš Picek from the Faculty of Applied Sciences at the University of West Bohemia and Josef Volek from Škoda Group as a small victory. But development does not stop there. In recent months, the two have been traveling frequently to Finland to test a tram and a control system at a local depot, so the vehicle can drive into the depot entirely on its own after finishing a shift.

“There is less movement of people in a depot, so it is basically an intermediate step toward a future where a tram could also operate autonomously in regular traffic. It’s a bit of a crafty shortcut that makes things easier. Still, it allows us to test the systems in real conditions,” explained Lukáš Picek from the Faculty of Applied Sciences at the University of West Bohemia.

So why are the autonomous depot and autonomous tram being tested in Finland rather than in Pilsen? The reason is not a lack of know-how, a university, or modern trams in Pilsen. You can hear more in the UniverZ podcast on Spotify, which connects science, interesting facts, and stories from beyond the university environment.

Meanwhile, another plan is taking shape in the laboratory and in controlled terrain. “Another project is emerging, whose goal is for the tram to be able to monitor its own perimeter. Based on cameras, it will recognize various dangerous scenarios or situations in which people are at risk—for example, when someone is too close to the tram, leaning against it, or, God forbid, gets caught somewhere in the doors,” added Josef Volek.

Listen below or on Spotify.