Segur Rail
The objective of the project has been the design and development of a platform for the monitoring and control of personnel carrying out construction or maintenance work on railway tracks. This platform is based on radiofrequency technology and aims to reduce workplace accidents in railway construction, maintenance, and conservation activities.
One of the main risks during the execution of construction and maintenance tasks involving heavy machinery is the risk of workers being struck or run over, particularly when they approach machinery during their work or due to accidental causes. During construction, maintenance, and conservation works, it is often necessary for workers to be positioned close to machines to monitor their different components and ensure proper task execution. The movement of machine parts, combined with the machine’s own forward motion during operation, represents a significant risk to these workers. This is further compounded by the fact that, in many cases, machine operators do not have sufficient visibility to carry out operations under completely safe conditions.
The platform design enables the real-time localization of workers operating in the vicinity of railway machinery, manages hazard zones, and triggers appropriate alerts to prevent and avoid potential accidents. To achieve this, a local positioning system based on a low-cost wireless communication device is used, which is capable of operating in any work environment, including tunnels and cuttings.
To calculate position, several receivers are used along with trilateration techniques, whereby the position of the transmitter is determined based on its distance from each receiver. The placement of receivers on the railway machine follows a configuration similar to that shown in the figure, i.e., alternating from one side of the machine to the other along its length, avoiding alignment along a single straight line.
