On December 8, 2025, the successful completion of the RailAIxs (Rail Automation with Artificial Intelligence for Detection of Exceptional Situations) research project was celebrated at the invitation of the IFS. Together with the project partners FH Aachen – MASKOR Institute, Hörmann Vehicle Engineering GmbH, and Qinum GmbH, the results of the work packages were presented in the morning. As consortium leader, the IFS was responsible for the requirements, structural modifications to the vehicle, and the operational and technical implementation of the test runs together with Rurtalbahn GmbH.
In the afternoon, the system for automatic obstacle detection and collision avoidance was demonstrated in practice on the light combustion railcar/rail bus (LVT/S). The vehicle recognized a dummy in the danger zone as a hazard and automatically initiated braking. The research work is part of the introduction of driverless transport on regional rail routes in rural areas, as the institute is also aiming to achieve with the Aachen Rail Shuttle (ARS).