Soon, AI-powered robots named USTAAD will check for faults in trains under Indian Railways. Read on to know more about it…
Indian Railways now has a new “USTAAD” to ensure safety! To make trains safer by eliminating human errors, Central Railway has developed an AI-powered robot which can click photographs and record videos of the under-gears of trains and send them to engineers for repairs and maintenance. The robot is developed by the mechanical branch of Central Railway’s Nagpur division and designated as USTAAD (Undergear Surveillance Through Artificial Intelligence Assisted Droid). With the help of USTAAD, engineers of Indian Railways can easily see and examine areas which are hard to see and hard to approach such as cramped or narrow spaces between under-gear parts.
Real-Time-Functions
The robot USTAAD examines parts of the coach in real time with a HD camera and transmits them over WiFi. USTAAD is equipped with high definition cameras and various types of sensors which will help in monitoring parts of the coaches and detect faults such as a hot axle, under gear defect, brake binding and transmit the information to the authorities in real time. The robot will be controlled by engineers sitting in the control room through an app.
“It captures video and still photographs of the under-gear parts of the coaches in real time and transmit them over WiFi.”
“The engineers can see these videos on big screen as well as record them. The camera of the robot can be rotated in any direction as per command given by the engineers,” Central Railway spokesperson Sunil Udasi said. “He can also zoom on the spot in case of any doubt. It is equipped with LED flood light and able to capture the videos in low light as well as in dark mode. “By use of this robot the chances of mistake and any deficiency overlooked by human eye can be eliminated thus reducing chances of human error,” he added.
With the help of USTAAD, engineers can easily see and examine areas which are hard to see and hard to approach such as cramped or narrow spaces between under-gear parts, he said.
Components & Features
The robot has an HD rotating camera that not only allows for real-time monitoring if required, but also gives a more accurate view of the under gear than the human eye can catch. Some of the very proficient features and practical capabilities of the robot are as follows:
For the constructive and appropriate examination of train’s coaches or wagon’s parts, the robot has been facilitated with HD (high-definition) camera. This HD camera is able to move 320 degrees on X axis and 130 degrees on Y axis so that the maximum portion of under gear gets covered. The camera captures video as well as still photographs of the under gear parts of the coaches in real time and then, can transfer them over Wi-Fi. The engineer can study these videos on the big screen and can record the same. The HD camera of USTAAD can be rotated in any direction as per commands given by the engineer. The camera can also zoom in or zoom out on the spot, during safety inspection.
The robot is also equipped with LED (light-emitting diode) flood lights and is able to capture the videos in low light conditions as well as in dark mode. With the help of the robot’s technical power, the chances of any mistake overlooked by the human eye can be eliminated, which, in turn, reduces the chances of human error. With the help of USTAAD, engineers can easily analyze and examine areas which are difficult to see and impossible to approach manually. Cramped and narrow spaces, between or under the gear parts, can be easily captured by the robot.
The robot can also tap the sound of flat tyre, during placement of the rake on the Pit Line. This is particularly important for prior detection of flat tyre, in order to keep a check on the train’s swift journey.
Future Deployment
USTAAD robot, based on Artificial Intelligence, may turn out to be a boon for Indian Railways as it looks to enhance safety standards. An official said that Indian Railways is now considering using USTAAD across zones, once it is tested more minutely.
