"The upBUS system is being developed by the Institute of Structural Mechanics and Lightweight Design (SLA), the Chair of High Frequency Electronics (HFE), and the Chair of Production Engineering of E-Mobility Components (PEM). It is based on a detachable passenger compartment that can automatically couple either to a road vehicle chassis or to a cable car suspension. The overall concept and its intended role in urban transport have been previously outlined in the upBUS project article published by Sustainable Bus."
"The first test phase focused on the automatic coupling process that allows the passenger compartment to switch between road mode and cable car mode within a few seconds. To carry out the tests, the RWTH Aachen team built a reduced cable car model with a guided sled over a length of 20 metres. Within this setup, the prototype demonstrated the transition from road vehicle operation to cable car suspension and back while in motion."
RWTH Aachen University completed the first prototype testing phase of the upBUS concept, a vehicle designed to operate both as an electric road bus and as an urban cable car cabin. The upBUS project develops a multimodal public transport system enabling a seamless transition between autonomous electric minibuses and cable car infrastructure. Development is carried out by the Institute of Structural Mechanics and Lightweight Design (SLA), the Chair of High Frequency Electronics (HFE), and the Chair of Production Engineering of E-Mobility Components (PEM), and is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space. The system uses a detachable passenger compartment that can automatically couple to either a road vehicle chassis or a cable car suspension. Initial tests on a reduced 20-metre cable car setup validated the automatic coupling process and produced empirical mechanical and control-related data from physical experiments. Further development and field trials are planned for 2026.
Read at Sustainable Bus
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