Sensonic opens Fiber Sensing Innovation Farm
Sensonic has announce the opening of its new fiber optic test facility for Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) in the United Kingdom.
This groundbreaking facility is designed to expedite the development and deployment of DAS monitoring applications specifically tailored for railways, providing unprecedented access to test and develop infrastructure monitoring solutions without the need for disruptive railway access.
The new facility, located in Hampshire, will serve as a dedicated environment for teams of researchers, engineers, and industry partners to grow, explore and refine DAS technologies to enhance railway safety, efficiency, and performance. By simulating real-world events and conditions outside the confines of an active railway corridor, Sensonic aims to foster innovation and collaboration within the railway sector, ultimately leading to improved monitoring and maintenance solutions.
Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) technology forms the cornerstone of Sensonics railway monitoring activities. DAS utilises fiber optic cables to detect and analyse vibrations along their length, providing real-time data on threats to security or safety hazards such as rockfalls and landslides. It can also be used to monitor for changes in track condition. This innovative approach allows monitoring long lengths of railway to be carried out with often no extra lineside infrastructure.
The new facility features the latest generation of AI-Enabled fiber optic interrogator units. These units transform standard fiber optic cables into an array of sensitive vibration sensors. The recently AI-enabled units can process vast amounts of data at source enabling a wider and more expansive range of algorithms to be applied to identify and quantify detections at source rather than relying on data transfer and processing off-site.
Spanning the UK innovation centre are over 12km of buried optical fibers of several different types to enable a wide range of testing to be carried out. The fiber is also installed across a variety of typical railway lineside environments including open ground areas, hedgerows, woodland and running alongside fences and roadways. This gives access to a wide range of field conditions for simulation and measurement campaigns without needing to gain permission from or interfere with railway operations. This allows development teams to more quickly test, develop and grow new applications gaining experience and customer buy-in before they are released and evaluated in more rigid railway environments.
The opening of the UK test facility aligns with Network Rails commitment to modernise railway infrastructure and enhancing safety, security and climate resilience measures. By providing a dedicated space for DAS technology development, Sensonic is poised to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of railway monitoring.
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