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Intecs, a hardware and software developer, is creating a multi-sensor GNSS-based platform for obtaining the absolute position of trains on railway lines. The system incorporates a camera that reads QR codes installed in the area adjacent to the truck. The system includes a robust software-based data fusion engine that combines GNSS and visual data to locate trains.
Delays when a train loses position can be significant and affect other vehicles on the track. The Intecs system (Auxiliary GNSS using Imagery Sensors for Railway Applications (AGIS4RAIL)) can precisely identify the location of vehicles.
Trial campaign
Numerous field tests were conducted on the new system. One of the most important series of tests was carried out on an automobile racetrack. The experiment used a ground vehicle with a GNSS antenna installed on its rooftop and a camera pointing toward the side where QR code panels were installed at 10-meter intervals. They completed 30 laps of the course under various conditions. AGIS4RAIL accurately identified the vehicle’s location on every lap, and the vehicle reached a maximum speed of 35 km/h. The maximum estimation error is 4.76 meters, which is consistent with the target of 5 meters.
Imaging sensors help reduce the negative effects of various local effects on positioning systems that rely solely on the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), such as multipath errors. The AGIS4RAIL system also provides protection against jamming and spoofing. Additionally, QR code landmarks can include data that validates the authenticity of the landmark itself.
Further testing is continuing and will soon include testing on trains operating in Italy, Intex said. The AGIS4RAIL project was funded under the European Space Agency’s Navigation Innovation and Support Program (NAVISP).
