Deutsche Bahn announced that it plans to start testing the use of drones to monitor the German railway network next spring.
According to Deutsche Presse-Agentur, the company announced the above news at an industry exhibition held in Berlin, and also showed a prototype UAV. The company plans to deploy about 100 such drones throughout Germany.
The German railway company once used drones to assess the condition of railway tracks or inspect vegetation along the tracks.
According to the company, the new drone has a range of up to 150 kilometers and can be used during railway operations. In addition, compared to helicopters and other aircraft, drones have better cost-effectiveness and lower noise levels.
For example, the German railway company said that drones can quickly understand the impact on infrastructure after a storm. All data recorded during the flight can be provided to the backend team in real-time and at high resolution.
Daniela Gerd, a board member responsible for digitalization and technology at the company, said, "We can use them during normal train operation, whether it's in bad weather conditions such as wind or at night
This is also a good thing for employees, they no longer have to go out in the wind and rain, but can obtain the necessary information through artificial intelligence on their tablets, "Gerd said.
