Intecs combines GNSS and sensor data for train localization

Intecs, a hardware and software developer, is creating a multi-sensor, GNSS-based platform for obtaining absolute position of trains on rail lines. The system incorporates cameras that read QR codes installed in the area adjacent to the track. The system includes a robust, software-based, data fusion engine that combines GNSS and visual data to determine train position.

The delay when a train loses its position can be significant and affect other vehicles on the rail lines. The Intecs system — assisted GNSS with imaging sensors for rail applications (AGIS4RAIL) — can correctly identify the position of a vehicle.

A number of field tests of the new system have been undertaken. A crucial set of trials, carried out at an auto racing track, involved a ground vehicle with GNSS antennas on the roof and with cameras pointing to one side, where QR code panels were set up at 10-meter intervals. The vehicle completed 30 laps around the course under different conditions. AGIS4RAIL correctly identified the position of the vehicle at every lap, with the vehicle attaining a maximum speed of 35 km/h, which is 5 km/h above the operating speed of the type of train that would use the new system. The maximum estimated error was 4.76 m, in line with the target of 5 m.

Imaging sensors help to reduce the negative impact of various local effects on positioning systems that rely solely on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), such as multipath errors. The AGIS4RAIL system also offers protection against jamming and spoofing. Additionally, the QR-code landmarks can contain data to verify the authenticity of the landmark itself.