【Editor’s Note】
Currently, artificial intelligence has become the new focus of technological revolution and a new engine for industrial upgrading. The “Suggestions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development” proposes to fully implement the “AI+” initiative, strengthening the integration of artificial intelligence with industrial development, cultural construction, livelihood security, and social governance. Against this backdrop, the state-owned enterprises in Changzhou are responding quickly, actively seizing the high ground of AI industry applications, and empowering various industries comprehensively. “Changzhou State-owned Assets” will focus on the exploration of AI application practices by state-owned enterprises in our city, showcasing the new responsibilities and actions of state-owned assets and enterprises in promoting high-quality development through “AI+”. In this issue, we focus on“Subway Group: The Expanding Family of Intelligent AI Robots”“.
In recent years, Changzhou Metro has closely followed the forefront of artificial intelligence technology development, continuously increasing resource investment, integrating intelligent operation and maintenance systems for vehicles, civil engineering, power supply, signaling, and passenger services, and actively building a comprehensive intelligent operation and maintenance platform for Changzhou Metro. From power traction to intelligent operation and maintenance, new “hardcore” technologies are constantly being introduced. Tiebao, Tieshuai, Tiejiang… the family of intelligent AI robots in Changzhou Metro is growing rapidly.
Tiebao 2.0
Intelligent Inspection Robot for Electric Passenger Cars
In March 2023, “Tiebao 1.0” was launched, featuring a design with dual robotic arms, multiple cameras, and four-wheel drive steering. It integrates multi-sensor positioning and autonomous navigation technology, based on a three-layer algorithm recognition system of “template matching + data comparison + deep learning”. Through visual navigation and high-precision imaging algorithms, it can perform inspections on nearly 5,000 detection points across five categories set by humans, both in powered and unpowered states.
In 2025, “Tiebao 2.0” will be launched, with the on-site technical team undergoing over a thousand on-site debugging sessions and more than 600 algorithm iterations and upgrades, achieving breakthroughs in both algorithm architecture and hardware configuration. Equipped with an autonomous navigation chassis, “Tiebao 2.0” can achieve millimeter-level precision positioning and fully automated inspection path planning. Inspection personnel only need to assign tasks in the background, and “Tiebao 2.0” can autonomously complete inspections of key components on both sides and underneath the electric passenger car, returning to charge automatically after the task is completed.
“Tiebao 2.0” reduces the single inspection time for components by 70% compared to manual inspections; in terms of accuracy, it controls the surface defect detection error rate to within 1% through 2D plane and 3D spatial depth measurement technology, effectively avoiding the risk of missed inspections due to human fatigue. Additionally, by automatically collecting data and intelligently analyzing faults, it can significantly enhance the efficiency of subway maintenance operations, laying a technical foundation for the health management of key components of electric passenger cars throughout their lifecycle.
The application of “Tiebao 2.0” also upgrades the inspection model from fully manual inspections every other day to multi-day inspections, where robots inspect daily and humans conduct periodic re-inspections.
Currently, two “Tiebao 2.0” units are in trial operation, covering all trains on Line 1. In the future, Changzhou Metro will deploy intelligent inspection robots in batches at the vehicle depots of Line 1 and Line 2, continuously increasing resource investment, integrating intelligent operation and maintenance systems for vehicles, civil engineering, power supply, signaling, and passenger services, and building a comprehensive intelligent operation and maintenance platform for Changzhou Metro to further enhance the safety and reliability of subway operations, achieving intelligent linkage of the entire subway operation ecosystem, and providing passengers with a safer, more efficient, comfortable, and convenient travel experience.
Tieshuai 2.0
Intelligent Inspection Robot
“Tieshuai” is an intelligent inspection vehicle, featuring a striking yellow and black design, and it runs particularly fast. “Tieshuai 2.0” is equipped with four seats, designed for a speed of 30 km/h, with a braking distance of less than 5 meters and a range of 80 km. It uses two line-array cameras and three 3D cameras to simultaneously capture 2D images and 3D data of track infrastructure such as rails, fasteners, sleepers, and track beds. Through high-precision mileage technology, it compares the acquired data; by “historical data comparison”, it achieves real-time reporting of significant defects; and through a three-layer nested intelligent detection algorithm of “data comparison + template matching + machine learning”, it processes and calculates to achieve qualitative identification and quantitative measurement of visible track defects, automatically providing key information such as defect location, type, and size, thus enabling diagnosis and early warning of track equipment failures, and supporting intelligent maintenance decision-making.
The track is the infrastructure for electric passenger car operations, and its performance status is closely related to subway operational safety. Currently, manual track inspections are commonly used to confirm that components such as rails, fasteners, and track beds are free of visible “diseases”. However, manual inspections are characterized by high labor costs, low operational efficiency, and varying inspection standards. After the official deployment of “Tieshuai 2.0”, it can complete data collection for the entire Line 2 track within 3 hours. The system’s cameras achieve a maximum data accuracy of 0.5 mm, and after multiple online adjustments and debugging, the current detection rate exceeds 95%, with a long-term average detection rate expected to exceed 98%, and a zero missed detection rate, significantly improving track inspection efficiency and quality, and eliminating the occurrence of missed inspections.
Tiejiang
Intelligent Inspection Robot for Substations
With a silver paint finish and two cool “big eyes”, “Tiejiang” has already started work at the Chashan Station substation! Through non-track autonomous navigation and fixed-path inspections, “Tiejiang” inspects 2,200 detection points at the Chashan Station substation, eliminating missed inspections. Currently, the system’s recognition rate exceeds 97.99%, significantly improving the efficiency and quality of substation inspections!
Don’t be fooled by “Tiejiang”‘s small size; it has great capabilities. One of its big eyes is a high-definition camera that can capture images of each detection point, automatically recognizing status information such as meter readings and switch positions; the other big eye is an infrared camera that can detect equipment temperature.
“Tiejiang” has multiple functions, covering battery, fire safety equipment, and temperature and humidity monitoring. It can automatically generate inspection task reports, alarm reports, etc., enabling real-time, multi-dimensional, and precise monitoring of subway power supply equipment.
The official deployment of “Tiejiang” will promote the transformation of traditional inspection models to an intelligent inspection model that prioritizes intelligent inspections with human inspections as a supplement. In the future, Changzhou Metro will continue to monitor the operational status of “Tiejiang”, optimize equipment maintenance cycles, and further enhance the digitalization, intelligence, automation, and informatization levels of power supply operations and maintenance, better ensuring the safe and stable operation of Changzhou Metro.
Source: Subway GroupEditor: Zou ShuReviewer: Liu Niandong
