Cities
E-Pilot: Operating aid for cable cars
The operation of conventional cable car stations still requires a certain amount of employee resources to ensure smooth operation. This presents significant challenges, especially for cable cars with extended operating hours, as in urban applications as for any other use.
In response, cable car supplier POMA introduced in 2018 a solution for assisting operators with their monitoring responsibilities, allowing them to focus on other tasks in the vicinity of the installation such as welcoming passengers and carrying out occasional maintenance tasks. Another goal is to increase the availability of the system.
E-Pilot:
Video surveillance, LIDAR sensors, barrier doors, and emergency stop switches ensure the highest level of safety.
Extend of E-Pilot
The E-Pilot technology acts as a control system, combining remote supervision of the installation with a set of technical features to manage operational safety functions. In addition to focusing on operational efficiency, all relevant safety aspects were integrated into appropriate solutions during the development of E-Pilot.
For example, advanced LIDAR sensors guarantee the monitoring of the vehicle pit, while cameras oversee the boarding and disembarking areas, as well as the station environment. Newly developed safety features also include barrier doors and emergency stop switches. Thanks to these comprehensive safety measures, passengers remain within the designated safe areas of the stations at all times.
Moreover, passengers can enjoy an even smoother boarding and alighting experience thanks to the optimized cabin guides provided by E-Pilot. These guides ensure that the cabins are well stabilized during station approaches, providing a high level of comfort.
Barrier doors:
for more safety
E-Pilot already in urban use
Five POMA cable cars (including one in Saint-Denis on La Réunion) have been operating with E-Pilot since 2018, and the experiences gained are contributing to the ongoing development of the system. Newly added is the “Le Valléen“ cable car in Saint-Gervais, which is equipped with automatic turnstiles featuring double door closures. In some cases this allow for remote troubleshooting without the need of an operator to intervene.
