Capital Equipment News August 2016

TRANSPORT AND LOGISTICS

D aimler Buses, the world’s biggest bus manufacturer, has put a city bus into automated operation in a real-life traf- fic situation – a world first. The Mercedes-Benz Future Bus with CityPilot drove autonomously on a route of approxi- mately 20 km in Amsterdam. On a section of the longest bus rapid transit (BRT) line in Eu- rope, the bus drove at speeds up to 70 km/h, stops to the nearest centimetre at bus stops and traffic lights, drives off again automatical- ly, passes through tunnels, brakes for obsta- cles or pedestrians and communicates with traffic signals. A driver is on board to monitor the system. The first step towards fully automated driving with buses in urban traffic consists of BRT lines with separate lanes. The Future Bus recognises whether the route is suitable for automated driving and informs the driver ac- cordingly. The bus driver then presses a but- ton and CityPilot is activated. One condition is that the driver does not press the accelerator or brake pedal and does not steer, because any driver activity overrules CityPilot – the driver is always in charge of driving and can take over at any time. CityPilot comprises current assistance systems as well as additional systems, some of which have been taken over from Daimler Trucks and further developed for urban traffic. The equipment includes long and short-range ra- dar, a large number of cameras and the sat- ellite-controlled GPS navigation system. The BUS DRIVES SOLO Africa Awards. Designed to recognise companies that have demonstrated an unparalleled ability to succeed and have continually set standards of excellence, the awards have become the blue chip mark of success for the African transport and infrastructure sector. This year, a number of companies from 16 countries throughout the continent were nominated for the various award categories. Five finalists were selected in the ‘Freight and Logistics Company of the Year’ catego- ry. It was the first time that Dachser South Africa had entered the awards. Dachser South Africa has been operating in South

intelligent connectivity of the cameras and sensors allows a precise picture of the surroundings and the exact position of the bus. CityPilot recognises traffic lights with its sophisticated camera system. In addition, the vehicle communicates via WiFi with the route in- frastructure, receiving in- formation on traffic-light status. This means that the bus can take advantage of a ‘green wave’ of traffic

lights. In order to avoid a collision, CityPilot has an automatic braking system that decelerates the vehicles as required. The Mercedes-Benz Future Bus with CityPilot significantly enhances road safety. Thanks to its anticipatory driving style, it improves ef- ficiency, puts less stress on the engine and reduces fuel consumption and emissions. And with its smooth, fluent progress, it also enhances passenger comfort. The Mercedes-Benz Future Bus is much more than just a technology carrier for autonomous driving: For this city bus, the Daimler Buses team has developed a specific, attractive vision for public transport that breaks with many conventions. The roughly 12 m long solo bus has been built on the basis of the global bestseller Citaro bus. The completely low-floor bus is divided into three areas: The ‘service’ area is at the

front near the driver; the ‘express’ area for short journeys with a focus on standing room and quick passenger flow is in the middle. Be- hind that is a ‘lounge’ area where passengers spend more time. The cockpit is an integrated part of the whole space. The driver receives the required infor- mation on a large display while an electronic ticket system dispenses with the conventional selling and checking of tickets by the driver. The Mercedes-Benz Future Bus with CityPilot will supply Daimler Buses with findings for the further development of the city bus of the fu- ture. These will include on emission-free drive systems, the further development of driver-as- sistance systems and the partial automation of driving functions (given the appropriate legal framework), the connectivity of bus and infrastructure such as BRT operating systems, and the electric/electronic architecture. b supply chain. We view our employees as a local extension of the client’s business. This commitment requires a high degree of human resource investment and a long term view of learning about – and under- standing – the client’s business sector and requirements.” According to him, the company actively seeks innovative solutions to meet the par- ticular requirements of each client. This is especially relevant given that the compa- ny has a diverse client base ranging from suppliers of frontline healthcare equipment, which requires continued onsite calibra- tion, to the providers of large-scale heavy technical equipment such as elevators and escalators, which require mega-transporta- tion solutions. b

DACHSER SOUTH AFRICA NAMED FREIGHT AND LOGISTICS COMPANY OF THE YEAR D achser South Africa was named the ‘Freight and Logistics Company of the Year’ at the recent Transport Africa and on the African continent for 38 years, with local offices in Johannesburg, Durban, PE and Cape Town.

“We’re very proud to receive this honour in a group of strong contenders,” says De- tlev Duve, Dachser South Africa’s MD. “An integral part of our approach to intelligent logistics is to create maximum profitabili- ty for clients through the full spectrum of value-added logistics services. The benefit for clients is that they are able to focus on their core business, rather than having to spend time and money on needless and complex handling of inventory.” Duve says that Dachser South Africa regards itself as an extension of the client. “Our aim is to provide sophisticated and streamlined lo- gistics that are integrated into the client’s

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