How Humatics Piloted the Humatics Rail Navigation System with the MTA

THE CHALLENGE

The Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) challenged Humatics to propose Ultra Wideband (UWB) train positioning solutions. The pilot would have to prove three things, all within one year: they would have to be viable for train control; meet MTA environmental requirements; and be safety-certifiable.

OUR SOLUTION

Over the course of 10 months, Humatics deployed its Rail Navigation System in partnership with the MTA on 5.5 miles of track in Brooklyn, NY and on four R143 subway train sets, successfully completed functional train control testing and collected terabytes of positioning data for algorithm development.

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What We Found

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Humatics Rail Navigation System is safety-certifiable

  • Meeting all conditions to pursue safety certification including a robust architecture, strict positioning performance metrics, and proof that the tech can be integrated with existing train control systems to ensure its a viable replacement.

Quicker and less expensive train installation and maintenance

  • UWB train installation is four days per train with no under-vehicle access required. No equipment is mounted underneath the train reducing maintenance costs.

Environmental and climate resilience

  • UWB technology is proven to work in all weather conditions and installed to minimize flooding impacts

Clearer trackbeds

  • UWB beacons are installed above the trackbed ensuring they remain out of the way of workers and are less likely to be blocked or moved

Humatics Rail Navigation System provide real-time health monitoring

  • Real-time insights into wayside infrastructure

Humatics Rail Navigation System requires fewer UWB beacons

  • Maintain position coverage and accuracy, minimizing maintenance and installation effort

Continuous navigation throughout the entire right of way

  • Enables additional applications in work-train tracking and maneuver optimization, Capital Construction General Order (GO) efficiency, and worker protection systems. Improving GO efficiency by a meager 1%, for example, could yield up to $35 million savings annually and reduce service disruption.