We had seen in a previous article what computer vision is – as a reminder it is an artificial intelligence that allows to analyse and interpret visual data in order to extract information.
In our case, we will relate this to passenger flow in rail transport and present the benefits of this technology.
What the Computer Vision solution can do ?
The main advantage is that most vehicles have IP surveillance cameras, which provide a source of real-time visual data on the state of the vehicle.
When we retrieve these video streams and play our algorithms, we obtain the load of passengers present in the vehicle in real time.
The algorithm is replayed at each occurrence, so there is no cumulative error compared to other counting technologies – the data is clean and represents the load in real time.
The fact that this technology does not require new cameras (if the existing ones are sufficient) means that the deployment time is extremely short compared to a sensor installation solution. As a result, the cost of deployment is also reduced, whether it be through material savings, vehicle downtime or installation labour.
Most fleets of vehicles such as trains, metros or trams only have part of their fleet equipped with passenger counting sensors due to budgetary reasons or obsolescence.
The advantage of the computer vision solution is to be able to install a counting solution even in these vehicles at a lower cost and very quickly so that the operator can know the passenger load in real time.
Improving the passenger experience
By having this information, it will then be possible to communicate it to passengers so that they can choose the least loaded vehicles or sections.
We could also add that the solution is based on artificial intelligence, which is adaptable to various situations in order to get the most out of it. It is thus possible to create a learning phase when a situation is complex so that the algorithms can “learn” on certain sequences.
The ease of implementation and performance of this solution makes it a perfect new asset in passenger flow solutions and is now integrated into the Acorel product range.
Do not hesitate to contact our transport sales representative for more information on this technology and its various applications.