Accurate Radiofrequency Identification Tracking in Smart City Railways by Using Drones

Abstract

Smart traffic is one of the key pillars of a smart city infrastructure. In the near future, more and more automated shipping systems are going to be used, eliminating the human factor as a possible source of error. In other words, safe operation of automated systems is one of the most important tasks. The direct supply of smart cities and their industrial facilities is best served by road and rail freight and passenger transport. The spreading of laws and automated systems reduces the number of accidents, but it does not completely eliminate it. With regard to the railway disasters that have occurred in recent years, we have observed that the time between the accident and the start of the rescuing process and repair is one of the most important factors for a successful operation. The localization of railway accidents is often difficult or time-consuming due to field conditions. This time can be greatly reduced by a drastic system that helps the work of disaster relief agencies and conscripts. Trolleys and tankers are nowadays equipped with an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) transponder to keep track of shipment movement. In this article we investigate what kind of assistance could a drone equipped with RFID reader and navigation infrastructure provide in case of a traffic accident or a disaster situation, with particular regard to the dangerous goods transported on a fixed track. The goal is to develop the application of a modern and innovative technology that can make a smart city more secure.

Keywords

• drone
• RFID
• railway
• communication
• disaster situation
• dangerous goods