Safety engineering in design of autonomous public transportation systems

Abstract

There are several safety challenges in the development of autonomous public transportation systems operating in urban environments. Special methods are needed for the identification and treatment of important human actions and for the recognition and prevention of potential human errors. This paper describes the utilisation of Functional Resonance Analysis Method (FRAM) in development and definition of autonomous tram transportation systems. The results are based on characteristics of tram transportation and human factors in autonomous transportation systems. Also, interviews of tram system operators and tram drivers were used in this study. The paper aims to conclude main safety engineering issues in autonomous tram systems and how to use FRAM approach to identify and solve them.