TRI-NETRA

• TRI-NETRA system will be used on locomotives for enhancing the vision of Locomotive Pilots in inclement weather.
• TRI-NETRA stands for – Terrain imaging for diesel dRivers INfra-red, Enhanced opTical & Radar Assisted system.
• The tri-netra device will use infra-red to tab signals up to a distance of 2-3 km and display the information on a screen fitted inside the locomotive. The display will not distract the driver with flashes or alarms during normal conditions, but warn them about danger in red colour and will give the driver ample time to stop the train. The equipment will have cameras, antennas, sensors for visualising the track ahead, which will be mounted on either ends of the locomotive.
• These devices can easily sense the presence of any uprooted tree or a boulder lying on the railway tracks. If a vehicle has broken down on the rail tracks, the device can notice them well in advance
• TRI-NETRA is designed to “see” the terrain ahead of the running locomotive during inclement weather by combining the images captured by the three sub-systems and to create a composite video image which shall be displayed in front of the Loco Pilot on a computer monitor.
• India will be the first country to use Terrain Imaging for Diesel Drivers- Infrared Enhanced Optical and Radar Assisted or ‘Tri-Netra’ in railways
• The Ministry of Railways has invited global tenders from companies to design, develop and implement Tri-Netra for locomotives. In the pilot project, these devices will be installed in 100 locomotives and gradually more devices could be procured depending on success of the system.
• Specifications and design of critical components shall also be approved by the Research Designs & Standards Organisation, the railways research arm.

Analysis:

• During fog, heavy rain and also during night, the locomotive pilots face serious challenges in looking out ahead to spot any obstruction on the track such as vehicles which get stuck while crossing the track or trees or boulders which have fallen across the track etc.
• Because of the heavy momentum of the running train, the train driver has to always adjust the speed of the train such that he or she can stop the train on visually seeing the obstruction. In fair weather and in daytime, this is not a problem since train driver has a clear view of the track ahead. But in poor visibility, he has to reduce the speed suitably so that the brakes can be applied in time to stop the train without hitting the obstructions.
• The concept of TRI-NETRA was developed by Development Cell under the guidance of Member Mechanical, Railway Board while brainstorming on how to use the technology employed by fighter aircrafts to see through clouds and operate in pitch darkness and the technology used by naval ships in mapping the ocean floor and navigating in the night.

By: Vishal