Digital Twinning – A Future Rail Platform

Summary: The rail digital twin can incorporate advanced technology such as AI-based computer vision to detect cars on the track (as shown in the inset), implement how this information would affect the rail operation (such as triggering signal lights as shown) and determine how the autonomous rail car would then respond (e.g. by slowing down to give the car time to exit the track or coming to a complete halt before the rail crossing).Hence the digital twin can be used to assess the full operational viability of the autonomous rail car before future investment in a real-world pilot.

Funder: New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) Innovation Fund through Reureu Kotahitanga Ltd (RKL)

Team: Yang Zou (PI), Michael O’Sullivan (University of Auckland), Zhengxing Chen (University of Auckland), Graeme Everton (RKL)

Duration: 2023