A Russian Railways unmanned electric train has successfully completed testing after it managed to automatically brake in front of a mannequin.

The train “Lastochka 113” (Martlet) was test-launched at a railway test site in Moscow’s Shcherbinka. The test involved using communication technology between the train and the tracks, technical vision tests, train self-regulation as well as driving in remote-controlled mode.

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The train’s “behavior” was also tested in an emergency situation when a mannequin was placed on the tracks in front of it. The machine successfully identified the hazard and stopped several meters in front of it.

“As of today, we switch to unmanned technologies. According to international standards, there are four levels of unmanned operation. We have currently tested the third level,” the director general of Russian Railways, Oleg Belozerov, said.

The train, among other innovative technologies, is equipped with a hi-tech automated vision system which consists of a camcorder, a thermal camera, and a number of laser ranging devices. All of these devices perform different functions in identifying objects along the route and on the tracks. For instance, a thermal camera helps the train work in severe weather conditions, the camcorder is focused on long distances (up to 1.5 kilometers), while laser rangers recognize objects at short distances (up to 200 meters). All of these make it possible for “Lastochka 113” to operate without a driver in a completely automated mode.

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Russian Railways plan to test its unmanned trains, with passengers on board, on the Moscow Central Ring later this year. Once it goes into operation, “Lastochka 113” will become Russia’s first unmanned train.

Despite broad research in the sphere, unmanned train technology has not yet been widely adopted. However, earlier this summer Australia’s Pilbara iron-ore railway network put into operation the world’s first automated heavy-haul freight railway. The system, dubbed AutoHaul, is described by its makers as the world’s largest robot, operating up to 50 automated and unmanned trains at any one time on a track range of 1500 kilometers (1000 miles).

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