THALES has unveiled a new Distributed Intelligent Video Analytics (Diva) system to monitor passenger density and support social distancing in stations and onboard trains.
Thales says the solution helps to alleviate crowding by reducing dwell times. Diva uses existing CCTV cameras on platforms and trains combined with video analytics to measure crowd density in real- time.
Platform displays can then be used to guide passengers to less crowded coaches on approaching trains, with red, yellow and green colour coding used to indicate density.
Video analytics can also be employed for other uses, including detecting unattended luggage and trespassers, as well as alerting controllers if passengers are still onboard when the train reaches the terminus of the line.
The system was implemented as a pilot with SBS Transit in Singapore in 2020.
“Rail operators are facing new challenges about passengers’ safety,” says Mr Benoît Couture, vice-president, managing director, Thales’s Integrated Communication and Supervision Systems. “Passengers need to be able to move freely on stations and platforms, to embark and disembark from trains safely and quickly. Crowding makes all of this more difficult. This solution provides operators with tools to manage crowding on stations and trains and allows them to tackle the root causes of congestion.”
