Who ya gonna call…University of Birmingham team pioneers leaf-busting tech for railways
TECHNOLOGY being developed at the University of Birmingham is set to spread joy in the hearts of UK commuters tired of endless delays to autumn services.
Every year thousands of commuters endure the frustration of autumn delays due to the accumulation of leafy slush on train tracks.
The problems usually reach their peak in mid-November, when leaf loss is coupled with just the right amount of moisture in the air or on the ground.
However, the delays could be a thing of the past if the new technology is adopted.
Lee Chapman, Professor of Climate Resilience at the University, was inspired by the emerging Internet of Things, which uses a range of innovative power, communication and sensing technology to aggregate real-time, on the ground, data.
Funded by EPSRC and the Rail Safety and Standards Board, he worked with Alta Innovations, the University of Birmingham’s technology transfer company, on a project he has dubbed AutumnSense.
AutumnSense uses low-cost sensors to continuously measure the level of moisture on the railway line at potentially thousands of sites across the network. By linking this data with a leaf-fall forecast, operators can identify where and when the risk is greatest.
This would improve the deployment of automated treatment trains, which are used to the lines before the morning rush hour starts.
Prof Chapman’s team is now testing the next element of the concept, which is a low-cost method to count the number of leaves remaining on the trees.
His team had previously developed low-cost devices that are fitted to lamp-posts, and transmit data on road surface temperatures, to show precisely where road gritting is needed, and where it isn’t. The road technology, called WinterSense, is currently being tested by commercial partners and is expected to be in mass production by the end of this winter.
Prof Chapman said: “One of the major issues with road and rail safety is that hazardous conditions are usually highly localised. For remedial actions to be efficient, and demonstrate ‘best value’ for the taxpayer, resources should be deployed where they are needed, rather than in a blanket fashion.”
He is marketing AutumnSense and WinterSense through AltaSense, an operating division of Alta Innovations, and hopes to incorporate by autumn 2017.
He added: “Even though leaf loss and damp conditions can largely be predicted – and despite automated treatment trains working round the clock from October to December – a windy, rainy night still causes havoc for commuters. We have run an initial trial of AutumnSense on a stretch of London Underground tracks that are above ground, and are hoping to move quickly towards a fuller network wide trial.”
