Collaboration Between ITB and PT INKA in Presenting Smart and Environmentally Friendly Transportation: Trial of Battery-Powered Autonomous Tram in Solo

Bandung, dkst.itb.ac.id – Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) and PT INKA (Persero) collaborated to present a battery-powered autonomous tram which was tested on Jalan Slamet Riyadi, Solo. This project is part of an environmentally friendly transportation innovation developed over the last three years. This tram is designed to be able to operate in mixed traffic and is expected to be a safe and sustainable public mobility solution in the future.

This autonomous tram is equipped with sensor technology such as cameras, radar, LiDAR, and GNSS, which are connected to an artificial intelligence (AI) system. This technology allows the tram to recognize its surroundings, even in various weather conditions, as well as make independent decisions to control the tram through a drive-by-wire system. With a 200 kWh capacity battery, this tram can travel up to 90 km on a single charge, making it efficient and environmentally friendly.

Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka directly attended the trial of this tram at Purwosari Station on November 2, 2024, accompanied by local officials and the Director of Operations of PT INKA. He hopes that this environmentally friendly technology can be replicated in other cities in Indonesia, in line with the priorities of President Prabowo's government in supporting the reduction of carbon emissions and creating a cleaner and greener environment. Prof. Bambang Riyanto, Ketua Tim Peneliti ITB dalam penelitian terkait dengan projek ini yang berjudul “Pengembangan Sistem Otonom dengan Artificial Intelligence untuk Trem Listrik Otonom”, menjelaskan bahwa pengembangan sistem otonom untuk trem ini sarat dengan teknologi kecerdasan buatan yang mengutamakan efisiensi dan keamanan. “Sistem ini memungkinkan trem beroperasi baik dengan maupun tanpa masinis di lingkungan lalu lintas campuran. Trem ini juga dilengkapi fitur object detection, collision avoidance assist, driver attention warning, speed limit assist pada mode pengemudian dengan masinis untuk meningkatkan keamanan, dan dilengkapi dengan fitur traffic sign recognition, adaptive cruise control and autonomous emergency braking system pada mode otonom yang mampu mencegah potensi tabrakan. Kami berharap, hasil riset ini menjadi tonggak baru bagi transportasi publik cerdas berbasis energi terbarukan di Indonesia yang dapat diterapkan di berbagai kota besar,” ujarnya.

Prof. Bambang Riyanto, Head of the ITB Research Team in the research related to this project entitled "Development of Autonomous Systems with Artificial Intelligence for Autonomous Electric Trams", explained that the development of the autonomous system for this tram is loaded with artificial intelligence technology that prioritizes efficiency and safety. "This system allows the tram to operate both with and without a driver in mixed traffic environments. This tram is also equipped with object detection, collision avoidance assist, driver attention warning, and speed limit assist features in driver-operated mode to improve safety, and is equipped with traffic sign recognition, adaptive cruise control, and autonomous emergency braking system features in autonomous mode which are capable of preventing potential collisions. We hope that the results of this research will become a new milestone for renewable energy-based smart public transportation in Indonesia that can be implemented in various big cities," he said.