Evaluation of intrusion detection technologies for high speed rail grade crossings : final report.
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Evaluation of intrusion detection technologies for high speed rail grade crossings : final report.

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    • Abstract:
      The rail industry is in the process of developing a prototype system for high speed rail. One of the concerns when using high speed rail is the danger of obstructions on the track. This level of danger is much higher than with traditional railway vehicles because the high speed passenger equipment is both lighter and faster moving than traditional equipment. It is therefore more vulnerable to serious damage and derailment by objects on the track.

      The goal of this project was to evaluate methods for detection of objects on railway track where they are crossed by a roadway. Two existing traffic monitoring technologies were tested for their potential in railway intrusion detection: video and microwave.

      Laboratory test results indicated that both systems appeared to have good potential for use in railroad intrusion detection. The video system was tested in indirect natural light, medium intensity artificial lighting and low level artificial lighting. Object detection was independent of color, composition, and direction of entry but was a direct function of detection zone size. Spheres as small as 4 inches (102 mm) in diameter, were consistently detected by the video system at distances of 15-25 feet (4.6-7.6 m). The microwave system consistently detected 4 inch (102 mm) spheres at the same distances, and results were independent of material, color, entry direction and zone size.

      Field test results of both of the technologies were mixed. The video system was subject to detection problems during the day due to the much greater complexity of the field environment and at night due to light reflections from smooth surfaces. The microwave detection system reliably detected large objects such as automobiles, even in a complex field environment, but it did not reliably detect objects smaller than an auto. The ability of this system to detect smaller objects appeared to be severely compromised from confounding features such as metal objects that can reflect microwaves. The distance of objects from the detection unit may have also been a factor in its poor field performance.

      The study concluded that existing video and microwave-based traffic monitoring systems may have potential for use in a railroad intrusion detection application, but further refinement of the technologies is needed.

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