SAFETY AND COMMUNICATION SYSTEM (SCS) FOR PASSENGERS IN RAILROAD TRANSPORTATION ME5643-Mechatronics: Integrated Term Project

As World population is exponentially increasing big cities face traffic and safety challenges related to railroad and rapid ground transportation projects. For this reason, to avoid collisions and allow a better communication between train, central control headquarters, and passengers new technologies are being developed by means of very sophisticated technologies. This project, being focused in the GK-12 education learning, is not intended to create new tools to mitigate real problems but rather is an excellent opportunity to share basic concepts of electronics and mechanics to young minds, and encourage them for science exploration. The project involves a Safety and Communication System (SCS) for railroad transportation. Five specific scopes were achieved by using light sensors, servo-motors, infrared sensors, relays, 555 timer, Ethernet cards, Twitter platform, and two microcontrollers: Arduino and Basic Stamp 2. The final result is an integrated circuit mounted in a small-scale railroad system that is capable to intelligently operate according to different scenarios such as darkness, emergency stops, communication via social networks, and safety conditions.