| NuRail Project ID | NURail2020-MTU-R19 |
| Project Title | Computer Learning and AI-Based Investigation of Outward Facing Locomotive Videos for Trespassing Events and Behavior |
| University | Michigan Technological University |
| Project Manager | Pasi Lautala |
| Principal Investigator | Timothy C. Havens |
| PI Contact Information | ptlautal@mtu.edu |
| Funding Source(s) and Amounts Provided (by each agency or organization) | $9,000 NURail, $25,000 Michigan Tech |
| Total Project Cost | $34,000 |
| Agency ID or Contract Number | |
| Start Date | 2020-01-01 |
| End Date | 2020-08-31 |
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| Brief Description of Research Project | This project attempts to use analysis of big data through artificial intelligence (AI) and computer learning (CL) to better understand the leading causes for trespassing incidents, which account for approximately 70% of all railroad-related deaths in the United States. However, it is unknown how many risky events takes place for each incident/casualty. Our main data set for the analysis is the video feed from outward facing cameras located in locomotives. Such data are regularly used for analyzing the events in the case of trespasser fatality or serious accident, but when combined with proper analytics and technology, offer an opportunity to identify all trespassing events, not only those reported or those leading to casualties, and then use that enlarged understanding toward more systematic analysis of trespasser events, both from spatial and behavioral perspectives. Our approach is to first develop an automatic "trigger" algorithm when human movement is identified in the outward facing locomotive camera and then, in the long-term, use the video data before and after the trigger event to 1) locate every trespasser event visible from the video (within defined limits) and 2) investigate, locational and behavioral trends, including causal factors through application of artificial intelligence, computer learning, and human models on trespasser events. |
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| Web Links | http://;
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| Project Website | |
| Completed | yes |
| Final Report | NURail2020-MTU-R19_Final-Report-Locomotive-Cameras.pdf
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