In September and January, six Google Pixel smartphones were placed on four New York City subway cars to assist with monitoring subway infrastructure. These phones, secured in plastic enclosures beneath the cars, collected data through their sensors while passengers used their devices for personal tasks. This initiative is part of a collaboration between the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and Google, who are exploring whether affordable technology can help enhance inspection processes, which currently depend on human inspectors who manually check the subway’s 665 miles for issues.
The project introduced Google’s TrackIndpect technology to capture audio, vibration, and location data, which can be used to develop AI models that identify potential problems, such as rattling or unusual noises. During the four-month experiment, the technology successfully identified 92% of defects later confirmed by human inspectors. MTA officials believe this system could streamline the inspection process, allowing inspectors to focus more on repairs than on identifying issues.
The MTA aims to implement a modernization system that proactively addresses track problems, which is crucial for the city’s 3.7 million daily subway riders. Brian Poston, from consulting firm WSP, noted that while New York is uniquely using harmonics to detect issues, other cities are employing sensors and cameras to monitor tracks. Despite advancements in technology, regulatory requirements for human inspections will remain in place for the foreseeable future.
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