Intelligent Video Gate will improve efficiency in Europe’s railroad terminals

When the technology was demonstrated at the Shift2Rails booth at Innotrans, it was in the form of a prototype – a model train with a headlight and an RFID reader, connected to a camera. The prototype takes a picture every time a wagon passes in front of a camera and reads the RFID tag. Then the system matches the data from both sources and a web interface shows both pieces of information in real time alongside earlier documents so that they can be compared.

In the demo, you can see how the model also collects information about the business code, BIC/ILU code, UIC wagon number and any signs declaring dangerous goods. Inventorying and registering wagons and containers is something that is currently done manually at the terminal on trains, which can be up to 700 meters in length – something that takes up to 45 minutes per train. With the help of the new technology, this work will be done automatically.

A technology with big possibilities

The advantage of Intelligent Video Gate isn’t just time efficiency – digital information about the train will also be created with high reliability. So far the possibilities with Video Gate have only been demonstrated in the prototype stage, but when the technology is fully developed, the system will even be able to handle information about the train’s current physical condition and any damage to wagons or containers.

The plan is for the technology to be implemented at terminals for testing and validation. And the possibilities of finding more uses for Intelligent Video Gate continue to be discussed in relation to the needs of infrastructure owners and terminal and train operators.

“It’s exciting to finally be able to learn about in the technology development that’s happening at Shift2Rail. I see great potential in Intelligent Video Gate that’s based on today’s challenges and I look forward to continuing the discussions on how more areas of application and functionalities can be built on,” says Nicklas Blidberg, project manager for FR8HUB who was at the Innotrans demonstration.

 “The project will take an important step towards our common vision of future freight traffic through the efficiency and quality assurance that will be created through the technology in Intelligent Video Gate.”

The wagons are scanned automatically upon entering the terminal with the help of the RFID reader and camera equipment. Digital data about the wagon and container is created for the terminal operators and carriers.
 
The information scanned from the train’s RFID tag is transmitted automatically and presented on a display or another digital device.

A project within Shift2Rail

Intelligent Video Gate is one of the technologies being developed within the FR8HUB project as a part of Shift2Rail in innovation program 5. The work group consists of Deutsche Bahn, Indra Sistemas SA, Ansaldo STS, the Swedish Transport Administration and ÖBB and is coordinated by CLOSER at Lindholmen Science Park. The work is now moving on from a mapping of state-of-the-art technology and selection of appropriate technological equipment phase to technical validation and a future use plan for Intelligent Video Gate.

FR8HUB och Shift2Rail
Shift2Rail is the first cooperative European railway technology project for the rail system of tomorrow. By request from the Swedish Transport Administration, CLOSER is acting as a cluster coordinator at Lindholmen Science Park for Swedish operators within the framework for the work within Shift2Rail innovation program 5 – freight transportation and is supporting the Swedish Transport Administration as project manager in the project FR8HUB.  Read more about Shift2Rail