The Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur (IITK) in India has developed a matchbox-sized device to monitor the wear and tear of railway tracks and prevent derailment.
The new 100g device will replace the bulky, box-like contraption used by Indian Rail to detect cracks and fissures on the rail tracks. Its oscillation monitoring system will work in real time to automatically prevent derailment.
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The device has been designed and developed by a team of IITK’s mechanical engineering graduates along with Indian Rail’s Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO).
It can be placed on the track floor of a running train to measure vibrations and detect any faults by tracking the pattern of these vibrations.
The device feeds the collected data and locational faults into a fingernail-sized data storage card with the help of a GPS receiver.
If the vibrations exceed the threshold limit the devices sends an alert via audiovisual signals (beeps and flashing LEDs).
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By GlobalDataThe researchers said the device locates and logs track faults accurately with the help of the GPS, eliminating human errors and making train journeys safer.
The device has a battery life of ten hours and can be recharged via a USB port on a computer, according to ians.in.
