Bike alone on the road

The research project, which was funded by the EU and the state of Saxony-Anhalt to the tune of more than four million euros, celebrated its conclusion in mid-September 2022 after three years. An interdisciplinary team of students and scientists from the fields of mechanical engineering, environmental psychology, computer science and logistics was involved. To date, they have built five prototypes that demonstrate that cargo bikes can also drive autonomously and safely. These are real robotic bikes with numerous sensors and actuators - but they can also be driven like a normal electric cargo bike.

In the vision, you simply order the cargo bike via app to your own location or a public transport station when something (or someone) needs to be transported. You wait for it to drive itself to the starting point and then take control of it yourself. If you don't need it anymore, it drives itself to the next job, to a waiting position or to reload. The bikes orient themselves and move independently on designated bike paths and behave in accordance with the road traffic regulations. "AuRa" is what the next generation of bike rental systems calls this, which is intended to enable flexible door-to-door mobility and be more efficient for operators than previous bikesharing systems.

The prototypes have so far covered more than 1,000 km on test rides in delimited areas to collect data. Equipped with cameras and lidars, the bikes can independently detect their surroundings and react accordingly. Several scenarios were run through, such as crossing a road, obstacles on footpaths or cycle paths and turning off at a major intersection. The researchers also conducted a survey researchers also conducted a survey to determine the opinions of passersby and potential users. The research team not only laid the groundwork with the design of the autonomous cargo bikes, but also investigated operational, legal and psychological issues. The findings from the acceptance study, which was conducted in a test lab with a 3-D model of urban traffic in Magdeburg, among other things, showed, for example, that people have a positive attitude toward the issue and do not perceive a bike without driver:in as threatening. A team from logistics modeled how the new mobility service could be used in Magdeburg. They examined how different operating modes, service areas and fleet sizes could affect availability or profitability.

However, it may be some time before the system is approved for road use.Project manager Prof. Stephan Schmidt estimates that the system could be transferred from the research campus to the city in around seven years at the earliest - assuming that the technology becomes smaller, lighter and more cost-effective. The legal situation also plays a role, because currently a human must be able to intervene at any time to stop the wheel. Magdeburg's mayor also pointed out that there are currently not enough parking spaces in the city for cargo bikes, which is what such a system would need. The research project received a follow-up grant from state funds after the previous funding expired, initially until the end of 2023. The aim of the new project phase is to develop a standardized "brain" for the autonomously driving bikes. It will also investigate their use in last-mile logistics. Tom Assmann from the university is aiming to soon test a prototype under real conditions in Magdeburg's city traffic. With corporate partners, the team wants to bring the autonomous cargo bikes to market as soon as possible. "AuRa" could be another step on the way to flexible, cost-effective, resource-saving, emission-free and sustainable mobility.