ITEC Hankyu Hanshin, Hanshin Electric Railway, Hanshin Cable Engineering and NEC will start demonstration tests on the Hanshin Main Line using Local 5G, a high-speed communication standard used in limited areas such as factories and buildings, and AI (artificial intelligence) image recognition technology. The period is scheduled for January-February 2023.
The demonstration experiments will be carried out in two ways: issue demonstration and technology demonstration, and will take place on station platforms and level crossings in the Nishinomiya to Ashiya Station section of the Hanshin Main Line, in the Mikage Station area, and on a test train in motion.
There are three main contents of the issue demonstrations. (1) accident prevention using ground-mounted cameras and AI image recognition technology, (2) real-time information linkage between on-board and ground images, and (3) manpower saving in daily patrol inspections using on-board cameras and AI image recognition technology.
（In (1), images of vehicles entering level crossings and people falling from station platforms are sent to an AI analysis server via the Local 5G network. If a hazard is detected, the crew terminal of a train travelling in the vicinity is notified. A speaker automatically broadcasts a warning to the scene of the danger, for example, "A train will be coming soon, please leave the area". This prevents collisions and other accidents. (2) In the event of an emergency, such as an incident in the train, Local 5G immediately shares the images from the security cameras in the train with the ground staff and crew. This will speed up emergency response and ensure passenger safety.
(3) also uses Local 5G to send images from cameras mounted in front of the train to an AI analysis server, where they are analysed using image recognition technology. The system automatically detects abnormalities in equipment, etc., and aims to reduce the workload of maintenance workers involved in daily patrols and inspections, and in the future to reduce the number of workers.
The technical demonstration is a demonstration experiment on Local 5G, using radio waves in the Sub 6 band, covering part of the Hanshin Main Line (between Nishinomiya and Ashiya Stations and around Mikage Station) using directional antennas and special coaxial cables on the line to conduct technical verification on radio propagation and methods to control radio wave leakage outside the line.
The railway industry is considering the use of these new technologies to further improve safety and the efficiency of railway operations in order to cope with the shortage of crews and maintenance workers due to the decline in the working population. This experiment is part of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' '2022 Development and Demonstration for the Realisation of Problem-Solving Local 5G, etc. (Demonstration Project in a Special Environment)'.
https://xtech.nikkei.com/atcl/nxt/news/18/14262/
