Transportation Autonomous Device

Job related injuries cost the railroads over $1 billion annually and from 2005 through 2008 30.3% of those injuries occurred in the rail yard. A majority of the accidents were attributed to slips, trips and falls from the worker slipping on ballast or tripping on other trackside objects. IEM is developing a Transportation Autonomous Device that may be configured to work autonomously, with a remote user, or under direct control of a yard worker to perform tasks throughout the yard. The sorts of tasks TAD can serve include: provide “service mule” capability by transporting needed materials to workers in the yard; assist in visual inspection of cars by traversing the length of a train and transmitting visual information to a remote operator; perform certain repetitive tasks to free time for human workers to concentrate on other tasks; and perform dangerous tasks. During Phase I, IEM reviewed possible applications for TAD; worked closely with a Class I railroad in developing specifications; and developed and demonstrated a prototype of TAD. During Phase II, IEM will identify a specific set of tasks for TAD, will develop a second generation prototype, and will demonstrate this device operating in a Class I rail yard.