FreeSEAT - Detection and pre-announcement of free seating for rail traffic
Overview
Background & policy context:
Comfort on train rides depends on the availability of seats. Only in case of seat reservation (and sometimes not even then) can passengers be informed about seating capacities in an approaching train. In this way, travelling by train often starts with a race for the free seats.
Objectives:
The experimental development project FreeSEAT analyses technical and operational solutions how to automatically detect occupied seats by means of a small autarchic sensor system, how to collect the data and how to send them to the next station on the route resp. to an analyzing system.
Focus of the project is sensor technology as well as collection, transmission and evaluation of sensor data. Easy upgrade of existing coaches and low-cost installation are crucial. This excludes any possibility of wiring for energy supply or data transmission.
The project results shall open up a wide field of market potential:
- New and enhances travel information systems via precise data on coach occupancy
- Line-specific insight on passenger movements within a train
- Passenger guidance to coaches with free seats via visual displays on the platform
- Support for planning tools
- Comparison of planning data and status quo
- Enhanced management of capacity allocation
Methodology:
The following sections shall be investigated in a sequential manner:
- Sensors and remote data transmission: evaluation of low power sensor systems, data exchange and transmission
- Evaluation: evaluation of output information, potential benefits for planning and controlling units
- Cost-benefit analysis: costs and benefits of equipment
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