New Delhi:
The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) is developing an artificial intelligence-based device that can read the blinking eyes of drivers and warn them or stop the train if they feel drowsy, sources said.
In June, the Railway Board had asked the NFR to develop a device that could detect the alertness of drivers based on blinking eyes.
The device – Railway Driver Assistance System (RDAS) – will not only issue a warning but also apply emergency braking if a driver loses alertness for a certain period of time. RDAS will be linked to a vigilance control device to apply emergency braking, the sources said.
“The device is still in the development phase and tests are underway to ensure its smooth functioning. The NFR technical team is working on it. We hope it will be ready in a few weeks,” a railway source told PTI.
On August 2, the Railway Board wrote a letter to the NFR with the request to accelerate the internal development of RDAS. It also says that once the device is ready, it will be installed in twenty freight train locomotives (WAG9) and passenger train locomotives (WAP7) as a pilot project.
All zones have also been asked to provide feedback on the operation of the system after use, so that further improvements can be made if necessary.
However, the Indian Railway Loco Runningmen Organization (IRLRO) termed the device a ‘pointless exercise’ and said all fast-moving trains already have mechanisms in place to keep the drivers alert.
“Every high-speed train locomotive comes with a foot-operated lever (pedal) that an engineer must press every 60 seconds. If the driver does not do this, the emergency brakes are automatically activated and the train comes to a stop. The current system is good enough to ensure that the driver is alert,” said IRLRO Chairman Sanjay Pandhi.
“I think RDAS is a useless exercise. If the railways are really serious about the safety of train traffic, they should conduct research into aspects such as fatigue, driving times, facilities and rest times of drivers.
“In many cases, drivers, including women, are not given breaks for eating or answering nature’s calls during their 11-plus hour shifts. If these things are taken care of properly, there will be no need to have RADS in the engines,” Pandhi said.
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