Automated Transit Networks (ATN): A Review of the State of the Industry and Prospects for the Future, MTI Report 12-31

The concept of Automated Transit Networks (ATN) - in which fully automated vehicles on exclusive, grade-separated guideways provide on-demand, primarily non-stop, origin-to-destination service over an area network – has been around since the 1950s. However, only a few systems are in current operation around the world. ATN does not appear “on the radar” of urban planners, transit professionals, or policy makers when it comes to designing solutions for current transit problems in urban areas. This study explains ATN technology, setting it in the larger context of Automated Guideway Transit (AGT); looks at the current status of ATN suppliers, the status of the ATN industry, and the prospects of a U.S.-based ATN industry; summarizes and organizes proceedings from the seven Podcar City conferences that have been held since 2006; documents the U.S./Sweden Memorandum of Understanding on Sustainable Transport; discusses how ATN could expand the coverage of existing transit systems; explains the opportunities and challenges in planning and funding ATN systems and approaches for procuring ATN systems; and concludes with a summary of the existing challenges and opportunities for ATN technology. The study is intended to be an informative tool for planners, urban designers, and those involved in public policy, especially for urban transit, to provide a reference for history and background on ATN, and to use for policy development and research

An Invitation to a New Transportation Mode

The trends of Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) and Automated Highways are converging. The result may be a new transportation mode built around robotic vehicles. This paper outlines how technology can transform transportation, making it more convenient, safer, more sustainable and less subject to congestion. Such a system could utilize existing infrastructure, but split highway lanes in half with vehicles less than a meter wide. This paper presents lessons from several relevant vehicles that the author's research teams have worked on. It describes open source work in progress and invites participation from other researchers

A Trip Time Comparison of Automated Guideway Transit

Automated People Movers (APM) and Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) are two of the main transportation modes in the realm of grade-separated automated transit technology. APMs can be seen in various US locations and resemble traditional heavy rail or light rail, as they all operate on fixed routes, but APMs are completely automated. PRT systems, which are not well established in the US, use low capacity vehicles to transport passengers directly from their origin to their destination, bypassing intermediate stations. Each type of automated guideway transit technology may have a niche where one type is preferable to the other. This study uses simulation to quantify the passenger levels and geographical contexts that are preferable for APM or PRT. The simulation results show that PRT tends to have lower trip times than APM if the PRT has shorter distances between stations, fewer passengers, and a more complex geometry

Fully automated urban traffic system

The replacement of the driver with an automatic system which could perform the functions of guiding and routing a vehicle with a human's capability of responding to changing traffic demands was discussed. The problem was divided into four technological areas; guidance, routing, computing, and communications. It was determined that the latter three areas being developed independent of any need for fully automated urban traffic. A guidance system that would meet system requirements was not being developed but was technically feasible

Understanding the socioeconomic adoption scenarios for autonomous vehicles: A literature review

There is great and growing interest in autonomous vehicles (AVs), both in relation to rapid technological developments and the trialling of these developments, and the potential for their far reaching impacts on transport systems and society. The present report examines scenarios and policy and practice challenges for the adoption of AVs. Whilst it has broad relevance for societies, in the industrialised democracies at least, there is a particular focus on the UK context

Full Issue 14(4)

il saggio esamina compiutamente la disciplina dell'art. 19 d.lgs. n. 5/200

Dynamics and Control of A Suspended ATN Vehicle

In order to enhance the research into Automation Transit Network (ATN) systems performed by the Spartan Superway team, a simulation environment and controller is developed for a suspended ATN vehicle. The equations of motion are derived for a suspended ATN vehicle constrained to move on a circular guideway (referred to as the Planar System) and for an ATN vehicle constrained to move on a guideway of arbitrary geometry (referred to as the General System). Additionally, a controller using feedback linearization is designed that tracks the position of the ATN for a conditioned displacement profile and minimizes the lateral acceleration experienced by the passenger. A literature review is first performed that covers the background of ATN systems and other important concepts important to vehicle control. The equations of motion for both the Planar System and General System are derived by the use of hand calculations and the MotionGenesis application. MotionGenesis is also used for the geometric calculations to allow for the interpolation of the arbitrary geometry guideway, the formation of the displacement profile, and the formation of the wind profile. SIMULINK is used to form the simulation environment built from the theoretical work and run validation simulations. Using a circular guideway with a radius of 100 meters, it is found that there is negligible deviation between simulations of the Planar System and simulations of the General System. A controller is successfully implemented on the Planar System using feedback linearization with dynamics derived from both the Planar System and General System. Finally, there is a proof-of-concept test of the dynamics of an ATN vehicle on an Euler spiral guideway