Autonomous Cargo Bikes get a Brain

Mobility experts from the University of Magdeburg and researchers from Merseburg University of Applied Sciences have developed a prototype of a new driving function for autonomous cargo bikes as part of the AuRa-Hirn 2 project. The micromobiles can now be summoned over a distance of 20 metres.

As part of the Aura-Hirn 2 project, the researchers are developing a universally applicable control module for automated micro-mobiles, such as autonomous cargo bikes. With new software, these "road users" should be able to move more safely and less vulnerable in road traffic in future; interaction with passers-by should be significantly improved.

One application scenario, for example, is use in city cleaning. "People collecting small items of waste or emptying rubbish bins are followed independently by the cargo bike. The big advantage is that both hands are free to work," says project manager Prof Andreas Scholz from the Chair of Mechatronics at the University of Magdeburg, describing a possible field of application. "And because the wheel can be summoned, unnecessary empty journeys can be saved." Two field tests with well-known industrial partners are planned for autumn 2024. 

Prototype already drives autonomously

Autonomous cargo bikes from the predecessor project "AuRa - autonomous cargo bike", which was completed in September 2022, will be used for the research project. The prototype of an autonomous cargo bike developed here is already equipped with a sensor system that allows it to drive automatically in a limited environment. 

"The mechanisms for the journey planning of autonomous cars have already been relatively well researched. They are primarily based on empty lanes with strict lane separation and directed traffic. Pedestrians tend to be disruptive objects rather than equal road users," says Dr Tom Assmann from the Institute of Logistics and Material Flow Technology at the University of Magdeburg.

If these mechanisms were simply transferred to autonomous micromobiles, such as cargo bikes, the bikes would find it very difficult or impossible to move forwards in unstructured traffic areas with many pedestrians. "Due to their significantly lower mass, speed and size, micromobiles could adapt better to a busy road than a car. However, there are currently no adequate solutions to the problem of them constantly coming into conflict with other road users for space. This is exactly where we come in," explains the engineer.

The automation technology developed in the AuRa-Hirn 2 research project with improved driving functions would enable peaceful coexistence and a risk-minimised driving style in the future, says Assmann.

"New paradigms, such as the 15-minute city, are changing perspectives on how public space in cities will be divided up in the future," explains Assmann. The concept of the 15-minute city describes a city in which all everyday journeys can be made in less than 15 minutes using sustainable modes of transport. Examples such as a car-free city centre in Madrid or a 70 percent bicycle share of traffic in Groningen in the Netherlands show that it works.

The development towards "roads for people" is already taking place. "A growing market for e-bikes and cargo bikes makes it clear that transport in cities will be significantly more micromobile and therefore possibly more digital in the future," the logistics expert continues. 

The Aura-Hirn 2 project will run until December 2025 and is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the state of Saxony-Anhalt.