Indian Railways now has a new ‘USTAAD’ to check its train coaches; know all about this new safety robot
By:
Nikita Prasad | Published: December 26, 2018 6:17 PM
Central Railways has developed an in-house robot named 'USTAAD' - 'Undergear Surveillance Through Artificial Intelligence Assisted Droid'. A digital innovation by Indian Railways, it checks for safety in under gear parts of train coaches.
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USTAAD, the new robot reduces chances of human error while examining undergear equipment on trains.
Indian Railways now has a new “USTAAD” to ensure safety! In an innovative move, the national transporter has developed a new robot system for undergear surveillance of train coaches. Called Undergear Surveillance Through Artificial Intelligence Assisted Droid or simply USTAAD, the new robot reduces chances of human error while examining undergear equipment on Indian Railways trains. The Mechanical Branch of the Nagpur Division of Central Railways has developed this new robot USTAAD. 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:
Robot equipped with HD camera:
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.
Robot with LED flood lights:
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 analyse 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.
Sound detection by USTAAD:
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.
USTAAD robot, based on artificial intelligence, may turn out to be a boon for Indian Railways as it looks to enhance safety standards.