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can operate independently or with minor supervision . “ Automation alleviates many of the back-breaking , tedious manual jobs that once existed for railway workers ,” states Robert .

“ It improves the overall reliability and operational safety of railways around the world . With our broad product offering , reputation for high quality , and willingness to customize and innovate , we are uniquely positioned to provide solutions that genuinely improve our customers ’ operations .

“ To give you an example , when working with crossties , commonly spaced 24 inches apart and covering miles of track ,” he adds . “ It means the same activity might be carried out 3000 times per day . In this instance , automation can accurately and autonomously replace up to 3500 ties a day , thereby alleviating the tiresome and repetitive tasks that have historically been done by a human .”

Necessity is the mother of invention

Recognized as a world-leading developer of AI for engineering applications , Harsco has developed an innovative core technology called Intelligent Railway Infrastructure Solutions ( IRIS ). “ In simple terms , IRIS uses neural networks to take in inputs , make decisions , and produce outputs for specific jobs ,” Robert explains . “ Over time , the system ‘ learns ’ how to recognize key information even when conditions are not optimal , such as unstable inputs or adverse weather conditions .

“ The basic system can be customized and applied to a variety of applications ,” he continues .

“ For example , IRIS might use high

resolution cameras to scan the track for what it recognizes as holes in a tie plate , stop the vehicle , and control the necessary outputs

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