Multi-scenario Applications of Intelligent Sensors for Rail Transit
2022-08-26
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A transportation powerhouse starts with railways. In recent years, China’s high-speed railway network has been developing at an astonishing pace. This extensive and well-connected high-speed rail network has enabled Chinese citizens to enjoy the convenience brought by “China Speed.” Let’s join Wang Zhipeng, an associate professor at Beijing Jiaotong University, as we explore intelligent sensors and delve into the multi-scenario applications of smart sensing devices in rail transit.
Outstanding insights: Carbon-fiber car bodies, bogie technology, high-precision positioning technology, anti-icing coating technology... The continuous development and application of these key technologies are constantly adding new brilliance to China’s high-speed rail—a national calling card—and helping Chinese trains keep racing ahead and continually surpassing others on the global stage of technological advancement.
Xinhua Net: Today, the "Fuxing" high-speed trains have become a shining emblem of China's high-speed rail network thanks to their safe, efficient, smooth, and comfortable operational services. But beyond the powerful support provided by smart sensors, what other cutting-edge technologies in the field of rail transportation have played a role behind the scenes?
Wang Zhipeng: In addition to smart sensors, there are several other key highlights. For instance, we’ve successfully developed a high-speed maglev train capable of reaching speeds of 600 kilometers per hour, as well as our advanced carbon-fiber body and bogie technologies. By deploying Beidou differential stations and ultra-wideband base stations along railway lines, we’ve achieved highly accurate, integrated positioning for construction workers, effectively ensuring their safety as well as that of maintenance personnel. Another important innovation is our anti-icing coating technology: by applying an anti-icing layer to the train’s exterior, we can effectively prevent ice and snow from accumulating on the train. Once ice or snow does accumulate, the coating enables automatic removal, providing robust protection for the safe operation of the train.
Key insight: Smart sensors hold immense potential. Beyond demonstrating their remarkable capabilities in the rail transit sector, they also play a crucial role in areas such as autonomous driving environment monitoring for automobiles and health status detection for construction machinery.
Xinhua Net: As a pioneering technology in smart manufacturing and the Internet of Things, intelligent sensing technology will continue to drive the digital and intelligent transformation and upgrading of society. We’d like to learn more—besides the successful application of intelligent sensors on high-speed trains, in what other scenarios have these sensors been tested and deployed?
Wang Zhipeng: In the future, the intelligent sensor technology developed under the “Fuxing” initiative can be applied to a wide range of fields, including autonomous driving in automobiles, autonomous obstacle avoidance and flight in drones, construction machinery such as excavators, and large-scale equipment in industries like steel mills and textile factories. For example, by deploying wireless, passive vibration and temperature sensors, we can monitor in real time the operational patterns of rolling mills themselves—particularly their critical bearings. By continuously tracking the health status of these bearings, we can promptly and effectively detect potential internal defects, enabling early warnings and timely shutdowns to prevent major accidents. Furthermore, multi-modal intelligent sensing technologies—integrating LiDAR, short- and long-focus visible-light cameras, and infrared thermal imagers—can also be applied to autonomous driving in automobiles. Given that automobiles will increasingly encounter more complex road conditions and face certain cost constraints on sensor systems, further R&D efforts are still needed. Nevertheless, the achievements made in both the intelligent sensor technology and data-processing techniques developed under the “Fuxing” initiative can provide valuable insights and guidance for the development of related technologies. Source: Science China Jointly produced by the Science Communication Department of the China Association for Science and Technology and Xinhua Net Any information sourced from other media outlets is reprinted from those sources and does not necessarily reflect the views of this website. The purpose of reprinting this article is to provide additional information. If there are errors in the source attribution or if your legitimate rights and interests have been infringed upon, please contact us, and we will promptly correct or remove the content. Thank you. |
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