Protran Technology teams with Johns Hopkins on robotic rail safety initiative
Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor
Protran Technology, part of Harsco Rail, has formed a marketing alliance with the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) to introduce unmanned vehicle technology to traditional railway safety and security operations.
“Rail safety depends on regular access, evaluation and protection along the railroad right-of-way,” said Jim Resio, director of Protran Technology. “With the new Instrumented Rail inspection System (IRiS), security inspection and ‘first response’ work can now be done robotically, with almost no risk of human injury or fatality.”
Equipped with near-infrared video and photographic capability, the IRiS can be operated remotely from a portable base station that provides a single interface for controlling the vehicle and reviewing telemetry. The unit is designed to accommodate an array of optional sensors that can expand its capabilities to include chemical, radiation or optical detection, making IRiS a solution for first entry into active events, such as bomb threats, fires or natural disasters. IRiS can be mounted or dismounted from the track site within minutes, reducing the impact on scheduled rail services.
IRiS is the result of an extensive APL technology development effort, funded by the Transportation Security Administration, that was shaped by feedback from transit stakeholders. The two-year development included several live tests in metro transit systems to demonstrate the capability of IRiS to operate effectively in either above-ground or below-ground applications.
Under its agreement with APL, Protran Technology will make the IRiS platform commercially available throughout Harsco’s network of railway and urban transit system customers, as well as to potential adjacent markets, such as the transportation and mining industries, where similar access, observation and incident-response needs also exist.
