Russian Students Develop a Prototype of a ‘Smart’ Railway Safety Helmet
A team of young developers in Russia has created a prototype AI-powered safety helmet capable of monitoring a railway worker’s condition and detecting environmental hazards in real time
A Smart Helmet for the Railway Industry
In the RZD Quantorium technology park, students are developing an artificial intelligence–equipped helmet at the request of the track service of the East Siberian Infrastructure Directorate. The helmet is fitted with multiple sensors that monitor both the worker’s physical condition and the surrounding environment in real time. A built-in video camera not only streams footage to a server and stores it on a memory card but also uses computer vision to identify external hazards.
The project is led by students Mark Volkov and Kirill Chentsov. The first prototype, equipped with basic sensors, has already been tested on the Children’s Railway.
AR Tools, Robotics, and Applied AI
A total of 150 students study at the children’s technopark. According to Victor Baryutin, head of RZD Quantorium, the program focuses on two core areas: artificial intelligence and virtual/augmented reality.
Two more students, Kirill Chentsov and Lev Tankhaev, are developing a system for assessing the volume and density of bulk materials. The device resembles a robotic arm with a camera, using image analysis and mathematical modeling to determine physical parameters.
Another notable project from the technopark is an AR atlas of rolling stock, which won the 2023 national competition ‘Transport of the Future.’
