Recently, British railway operators have adopted an innovative artificial intelligence technology that has successfully kept nearly 6000 deer away from the railways. This new technology, known as the Automated Deer Detection and Deterrence System (ADDS), was developed by Network Rail, London North Eastern Railway's innovation team, and Innovation Factory. This marks the first attempt in the railway industry.
Image source note: The image was generated by AI, provided by the image licensing service Midjourney
Before the trial began, the team analyzed past data on deer intrusions to identify the most suitable pilot area. Ultimately, they chose a one-mile stretch of railway near Peterborough, where a train passes every five minutes, making it a high-risk area for deer presence. To address this issue, the system consists of 127 cameras, 90 ultrasonic alarms, flashing red and white lights, 10 Wi-Fi routers, and portable power sources.
This intelligent system uses acoustic and visual sensors to detect deer movements in real-time and triggers alarms with sound and flashing lights when deer approach the tracks. The system continuously tracks the behavior of the deer until they leave. All monitoring footage is transmitted in real-time to a dashboard, allowing staff to check the success rate and specific time and location of deterrence events at any time.
Since the system was put into use, it has successfully prevented nearly 6000 deer from entering the railway area. In the future, this technology is expected to be promoted on a larger scale. According to Network Rail's data, animal intrusions into the railway occurred as many as 1432 times in the past year, about four times a day, with deer causing the most railway accidents, totaling 350. Sheep, birds, and cows followed.
The railway department emphasizes that intruding into the railway is a serious illegal act that has caused countless train delays and may result in severe injuries or fatalities. Helen Hamlin, the operations director, stated that dangers on the railway are everywhere, and everyone must remain vigilant.
Key Points:
🐾 AI technology successfully deterred nearly 6000 deer, ensuring railway safety!
📷 This intelligent system uses acoustic and visual sensors to detect deer movements in real-time and triggers alarms when deer approach the tracks.
🚂 In the UK, animal intrusions into the railway occurred 1432 times last year, with deer being the primary culprits.