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Mat4Rail Newsletter 04  |  November 2019

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Virtual train prototype successfully finalised and presented in Paris
Great feedback from railway industry leaders at the final Mat4Rail event in Paris for the development of the virtual train prototype showing the Innovative Driver’s Cabin and the Innovative Plug & Play System
One final result of Mat4Rail was a virtual prototype of the Innovative Driver’s Cabin design developed by Spirit Design (WP8) and the Innovative Plug & Play System developed by NVGTR (WP6).

SPIRIT conceptualised and INDAT constructed a virtual prototype of a completely new train model to showcase the design achievements. A neutral train model was developed in coordination with PIVOT, which is a hybrid between a commuter train and an inter-regional train. It consists of two carriages, each having a driver cabin at the end/front. To give it a realistic and appealing design, several train interior elements and modules were designed.
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Overview of virtual prototype © Spirit Design – Innovation and Brand GmbH
The design concept of the Innovative Driver's Cabin is based on new stakeholder demands from manufacturers, operators, train personal and passengers. Ongoing and accelerating technological advancements towards the fully automated train operation (ATO) offers new possibilities for functional design for train drivers and passengers alike. The two resulting modes “passenger mode” and “driver mode” are based on the possibilities which are offered by  Grade of Automation (GoA) Level 2 & 3:
  • GoA 2 is semi-automatic train operation (STO) where starting and stopping is automated, but a driver operates the doors, drives the train if needed and handles emergencies.
  • GoA 3 is driverless train operation (DTO) where starting and stopping are automated but a train attendant operates the doors and drives the train in case of emergencies.
The virtual prototype was designed to showcase the functionalities which enable the two main scenarios of WP8. In “passenger mode” the cabin offers an extension of the conventional passenger cabin, where people can move freely into the driver cabin. Therefore, a glass door can be unlocked and opened completely.  
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Virtual prototype view from passenger cabin into Innovative Driver’s Cabin © Spirit Design – Innovation and Brand GmbH


The seats inside the driver cabin are placed on both sides inviting people to relax shortly or stay and travel on their commuting ride. The windows offer an unhindered view to all sides to enjoy the travel in the unique sight. The big augmented reality screen in the front of the cabin can be configured with any contents, such as location based information or advertisement. Below the big augmented reality screen, ambient lighting was placed to give the room a cosy feeling.
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Overview of innovative drivers’ cabin in “passenger mode” © Spirit Design – Innovation and Brand GmbH
When the attention of a driver is required, the drivers’ cabin can be put in “driving mode”. Once driving mode is initiated by the operator, the opaque glass doors automatically close. The two front-facing seats in the driver cabin are hinged on a rail system. The driver seat automatically moves along the rail and positions itself in front of the dashboard.
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Initiating “driver mode” © Spirit Design – Innovation and Brand GmbH

The robotic arm below the dashboard appears when the driver approaches with the multifunctional control Human Machine Interface (HMI) tablet. It senses the location of the tablet and places itself beneath the tablet to fixate it firmly. The HMI tablet itself is designed to be highly adaptable to the preferences of the driver, offering many configurable nobs and a big touch screen.

From this moment on, the driver controls the train via the tablet. The augmented reality display shows weather, track and camera information. Additionally, the cabin is equipped with vitality sensors and a head up display. When driver mode is disengaged, the driver leaves the cabin, the glass door opens and passengers can use the space again.
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Human Machine Interface innovation © Spirit Design – Innovation and Brand GmbH
To illustrate the different set-ups of the innovative Plug & Play system developed in WP6 and the versatile options of applications, different interior scenarios were conceptualised and designed in the virtual prototype (see figures above).
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Virtual Prototype train view down the aisle © Spirit Design - Innovation and Brand GmbH
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Virtual Prototype of WP6 Subway style shoulder by shoulder © Spirit Design - Innovation and Brand GmbH
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Virtual Prototype of WP6 seat group with table © Spirit Design – Innovation and Brand GmbH
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Virtual Prototype of WP6 seat group without table © Spirit Design – Innovation and Brand GmbH

SPIRIT, INDAT and NVGTR are very happy with the final result and the successes which came with it. The feed back for the presentation in Paris 17th September 2019, was very good among all people present and interest was great to discuss innovative details and quality of the final results.
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Wolfgang Fargel (SPIRIT) presenting final virtual prototype at the final joint event (Paris 17.09.2019) © Spirit Design - Innovation and Brand GmbH
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Final project event with live Mat4Rail demonstrators held in Paris
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This project has received funding from the Shift2Rail Joint Undertaking under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 777595.
© accelopment AG 2019. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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      • Newsletter 1: June 2018
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