Italy has successfully tested its prototype for a fully autonomous Unmanned Railway Vehicle (URV) that can map critical safety and efficiency issues along the nation’s high-speed rail network. Running at up to 200 km/h, the self-driving prototype is the latest development in the international race to harness automation technology along the rails.
Developed in-house by Italy’s railway network manager RFI, the URV was tested at the Bologna San Donato test circuit earlier this month. If deployed on regular tracks, the prototype will inspect, monitor, and analyse the country’s railway infrastructure, focusing on reducing safety risks for RFI’s employees. Since it is autonomous, the URV will safely conduct inspections in hazardous areas where on-the-ground human evaluations might be risky, such as environments with toxic substances or unstable conditions – what RFI refers to as the three Ds, “dull, dirty & dangerous.”
Powered by advanced batteries, the vehicle can operate for up to four hours continuously and reach speeds of up to 200 kilometres per hour. This enables it to cover large sections of the railway network quickly, optimising the time required for inspection and monitoring tasks.