Subway transit workers sport RFID to improve safety
21 January, 2010
category: RFID
Bombardier Transportation, McMaster RFID Applications Lab and Ontario Centres of Excellence are teaming up to develop location awareness technology that can be used to notify subway operators of the exact location of track inspectors and workers.
The idea is to use RFID tags to broadcast a signal to approaching subway operators notifying them of the presence of track workers.
Currently, systems make use of different manual methods – signaling workers are present using colored lights, or lookouts to alert workers of an approaching subway train.
“We developed some early concepts and now we’re looking to the RFID team at McMaster to help us complete the solution and test it,” says Keith Sheardown, General Manager of Bombardier.
The $1.4 million project is expected to take three years to complete.