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RAILWAY DIGITALISATION USING DRONES

Project description

New drone technology to keep trains on track

Drone technology boasts a wide range of applications in several fields, such as the monitoring and design digitalisation of railways. The EU-funded RADIUS project will develop a drone-based technology to monitor the physical situation and electronic operability of non-safety critical and safety critical railway signalling assets and to perform specific maintenance operations. The project will identify the best drone technologies to be used in the railway sector, design the drone solution characteristics, integrate sensor and data collection, and adapt/redesign the railway signalling assets to drone characteristics. RADIUS will ensure safe communication between the drone and peripheral post and secure data exchange, allow contactless diagnostics, and focus on the interaction with current intelligent asset management systems and traffic management systems.

Objective

The objective of the RADIUS proposal is to develop a drone – based technology to:
(1) Monitor the physical status and electronic functionality of both non safety – critical and safety - critical railway signalling assets
(2) Execute specific maintenance activities.

RADIUS will focus on:
(1) The identification of the best drone technology to be used in the railway sector, considering mainly the signalling assets to be monitored, the characteristics of the lines, the maintenance actions to be implemented and the distances to be covered
(2) The design a/o the utilization of drone solution and related payloads capabilities to integrate:
a. Sensors, data collection and processing capabilities to allow the monitoring of signalling assets
b. Wireless technology to be used to provide a secure communication channel between the drone and the peripheral device, and to allow contactless diagnostic and SW maintenance
c. Use of EGNSS solutions for navigation and positioning, such as GALILEO and EGNOS (SBAS), enabling improved drone flight control and safe movements in the complex railways operational scenario
d. The most secure data transmission solution to guarantee reliable and secure data exchanges, and embedded data analytics to perform assets monitoring, maintenance prediction analysis, and repairing actions avoiding railway track possession
(3) The adaptation a/o redesign of the railway signalling assets to become drone – friendly for the maintenance activities, including the design of a docking station
(4) The interaction with existing Intelligent Asset Management Systems
(5) The interaction with current Traffic Management Systems, to improve the safe movements of drones within the railway
(6) The planning of drone mission strategies in compliance with applicable regulations and with the complexity of the railway environment to fly Beyond Visual Line Of Sight
(7) The practical demonstration of a proof of concept (TRL 6) system in a railway relevant environment.

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Call for proposal

H2020-SPACE-EGNSS-2019-2020

See other projects for this call

Sub call

H2020-SPACE-EGNSS-2020

Coordinator

HITACHI RAIL STS SPA
Net EU contribution
€ 636 650,00
Address
VIA ARGINE 425
16151 NAPOLI
Italy

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Region
Nord-Ovest Liguria Genova
Activity type
Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments)
Links
Total cost
€ 909 500,00

Participants (6)