Train Automation

A collection of programs and hardware simulating railroad operations.

Prototype completed, October 2017, Brooklyn, NY.

Proof-of-concept demo, October 2015, Lower East Side.

Automatic Train Control (ATC) has three parts:

The Virtual Train Operator, which runs the train, stops at stations, and stops at "red signals." The VTO is represented by an arduino sketch.

Automatic Train Protection (ATP), a type "virtual signalling system." The ATP program runs on a computer server. It maintains a representation of the track layout and continually searches the path in front of a train for obstacles. Obstacles include a train, switch, or "dispatcher red signal."

The Virtual Dispatcher, a simple logic engine that interprets a program created by the user. A statement might be composed of "if the bedroom line is occupied by one southbound train, set the south switch to straight." A collection of such statements compose a program, which can safely route trains on intersecting paths through the track.

Proof-of-concept demo, October 2015, LES, southbound.

Proof-of-concept demo, October 2015, LES, bird's eye view.

Parts

Arduino Yún Motor Shield NFC Shield NFC Sticker Servo Shield Micro Servo Hall Effect Sensor

The project touches many interests, including public transportation, the internet of things, event-driven application design, railroad signaling, logic, and a fascination with the lego brand.

RFID Tags
NFC stickers are placed on lego plates. The NFC tags contain a unique number and can be programmed with things like speed, station location, and end-of-track information.
Block View
Tags divide the track into blocks.
Block View

The track is represented by a doubly-linked list, and is displayed on a flot graph. Shown here is the layout used to test the completed prototype.

Switch Controller
A switch controller can control up to 16 servos.
Switch
Servos were mated to the switch with glue and must be individually calibrated prior to first-time use.
Train 3
The stable hardware configuration: a power car, center car with Arduino/NFC/battery stack, and motor car with speed sensor.
Camera Car
An earlier, glueless configuration using AA batteries. Bike cameras are used to document operational milestones.
NFC Reader
Tags are read or programmed by the train's NFC reader.
Speed Sensor
The speed sensors use magnets mounted on a rotating shaft and a hall-effect sensor. The sensor functions similarly to a bike spedometer.
Train 3
Legos, batteries, superglue, wires, solder, magnets, and a mini-computer are all familiar enough items. Hardware design and debugging was a new aspect to development. Seen here: a mid-level "stable" iteration that substantially reduced the width of the RFID car by using superglue, and a counter-weight on the front of the train due to the model's tenacity to jump the tracks.
Train 3
The vision: a metro-style operating model.
Speed Sensor

Trains can be controlled directly with this user interface. Built before I had learned bootstrap, it stubbornly persists because it's responsive just enough to be used on a modern smartphone.

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