Singapore – An artificial intelligence-powered video analytics system has been installed on the Bukit Panjang LRT (BPLRT) line to monitor people who have fallen onto the tracks at stations.
The iSafe system was unveiled Thursday at an event held at the BPLRT Depot at Junction 10. The iSafe system is the latest initiative by railway operator SMRT to improve passenger safety.
The system analyzes video feeds from 104 cameras installed on station platforms at 13 LRT stops around the clock. It alerts SMRT personnel when it detects people on the tracks or people loitering near the edge of the platform.
Senior Transport Minister Amy Cole said at a press conference that line incursions were rare but could have serious consequences. He added that the transport industry, including motor vehicle authorities and public transport operators, is always looking for ways to minimize such accidents.
There is a fixed fence on the platform of the LRT station, and there is a gap for getting on and off the train. Dr Cole said there was insufficient space on the platform to install platform doors, which are installed at all MRT surface stations.
In the past decade, there have been two deaths and one injury caused by passengers falling onto LRT tracks.
SMRT said it detected one truck intrusion on July 2 since iSafe began operating the system on July 1. The operator did not provide details of the incident when asked.
According to SMRT, iSafe currently detects track intrusions with 99.8% accuracy.
We expect SMRT to improve in accuracy as we use it, as the software learns from real data.
This includes being able to identify whether an object on the edge of a station platform or on a track is human. Currently, systems monitor features such as the head and torso to identify a person.
Video information from the station is relayed at near real-time speed via fiber optic cable to the line’s operations control center at the Ten Mile Junction LRT depot.
If the system detects an intrusion on the track, it will sound an alarm at the control center. Staff also get visual cues in the form of her window that pops up, showing a screenshot of the break-in with the person clearly marked, and her CCTV feed in real time showing what’s going on at the scene.
After SMRT personnel confirm that there is indeed a track intrusion, traction is cut off to stop trains traveling on the track.
It takes only a few seconds to restore power to move a train, but the time needed to deal with an intrusion can vary depending on circumstances, such as whether people on the track are injured and unable to move safely. SMRT said.
