USA: AI-backed technology to use images from forward-facing locomotive cameras to identify railway trespass risks is to be developed by Wi-Tronix and Florida passenger operator Brightline.
The project has been awarded $1·648m from the Federal Railroad Administration’s Consolidated Rail Infrastructure & Safety Improvements grant programme.
High-definition forward-facing cameras will be installed on Brightline’s 21 locomotives. The data collected will be used to train an AI model to identify unsafe behaviour around the line, enabling Brightline to more accurately identify areas for additional anti-trespass community outreach, law enforcement presence or infrastructure interventions.
It is envisaged that the system could be used by railways across the country once it is developed.
‘The ability to collect, identify and mitigate trespasser behaviour through the use of AI is a catalyst for change’, said Wi-Tronix’s Vice-President of Sales & Customer Experience Chad Jasmin on September 29. ‘New possibilities for safety are on the horizon, not just for Florida, but for our nation.’
