A Japanese railway operator is about to make crossing its train lines safer with a new security system that uses AI and 3D imaging. Seibu Railway, which operates in the Tokyo area, will begin using the new system shortly.
It consists of two cameras. One is an AI camera that activates when it detects humans at crossings. The other is a 3D camera that captures more detailed images of people, taking into account their height and size.
Should the cameras detect a human or a bicycle in a crossing after the gates begin to close, a warning will be sent to the nearest stop signal and the train operator. At first, the system will be put into operation at small pedestrian crossings. The transport ministry says other railway operators in the country have already begun using AI security systems but Seibu is the first to use 3D imaging.
Seibu Railway says the new system will lead to fewer accidents. In the five years through the end of March 2022, over one thousand accidents have been reported at railway crossings across Japan, with more than 450 deaths. Increasingly, more elderly people are falling victim to such mishaps.
