Škoda says it has made a breakthrough in autonomous transport after one of its trams drove without a driver in Tampere, Finland.

At the tram depot in Tampere, the company demonstrated the first features of its Smart Depot ecosystem, which enabled a Škoda tram to complete automatic movement in various scenarios for the first time without a driver.

In a demonstration at the Tampereen Ratikka tram depot, a tram performed complex tasks entered remotely via a server application. The vehicle moved automatically around the depot without driver intervention, including passing through the wash line. It also reacted automatically to obstacles on the tracks, thanks to the ACS anti-collision system that Škoda developed specifically for trams.

This achievement comes just one year after the project development was announced and marks a step towards full autonomy. Škoda, a developer of digital technology for public transport vehicles, carried out the development of the system in the Czech Republic with the support of the PPF Group (www.ppf.eu).

“Last year we presented the Smart Depot vision,” said Jiří Liberda, digital managing director at Škoda Group. “Thanks to the continuous support of the investor and the intensive work of our developers, we were able to turn the vision into reality in just one year. The successful demonstration of automatic movement and its response in the Smart Depot ecosystem is another step on the road to a fully autonomous tram.”

The potential for digital technology to transform public transport is huge. By reducing human error, optimising services and lowering operating costs, Škoda says it is defining the present and future of public transport. Its Smart Depot integrates existing and newly developed technologies into a coherent ecosystem, automating routine processes to improve depot efficiency and safety. This automation reduces the need for manual intervention, increases safety and ultimately optimises costs.

Škoda has been working with Tampereen Ratikka (www.tampereenratikka.fi) for a long time to develop and test digital technologies. For this purpose, the so-called Lyyli Living Lab (www.tampereenratikka.fi/en/lyyli-living-lab) – a development, experimentation, testing and marketing environment – was created in cooperation with other organisations. The Škoda Smart Artic X34 tram plays an important role in this environment, where new technologies can be installed, and immediate feedback can be obtained in real operation.

Škoda Group (www.skodagroup.com) is also working on similar activities in the Czech Republic, specifically within the framework of a memorandum of cooperation on autonomous mobility in Pilsen.