From November 23rd to 24th, 2024, the 2nd UIC TrainRail Hackathon Asia-Pacific Regional Competition took place at Southwest Jiaotong University in China. The event attracted over 200 talented students from across the Asia-Pacific region, forming 42 teams to explore solutions for the future of the railway industry. With themes centered on enhancing passenger experience, strengthening freight capacity, and optimizing operational efficiency, the competition brought fresh perspectives and innovative technologies to the sector.

Committed to nurturing innovation and driving industry progress, Seeed Studio was thrilled to support the competition, together with other institutions such as Khon Kaen University in Thailand and Yamanashi University in Japan.

We were happy to provide comprehensive support throughout the competition, including pre-competition technical guidance and a wide range of hardware resources such as XIAO series, Grove sensors, Arduino kits, LoRa E5 modules, and Raspberry Pi modules, etc, empowering participants to rapidly prototype their ideas and overcome technical challenges.

Teams from Southwest Jiaotong University and Shijiazhuang Railway University claimed the top prizes for their exceptional projects. They will represent the Asia-Pacific region at the global finals in April 2025.

Highlights of Winning Projects

Participants showcased a range of innovative projects that directly addressed real-world railway challenges. Notable projects included:

• Railway Wind and Snow Disaster Early Warning and Response System: This system provides real-time monitoring and early warnings for railway operations under adverse weather conditions, enhancing safety and efficiency.
• Automated Barrier-Free Platform System: Designed to improve accessibility for passengers with disabilities, this intelligent platform solution optimizes barrier-free services in railway transportation.
• Contact Network Arc Intelligent Monitoring System: Employing vision and sensor technologies, this system offers an intelligent solution for railway equipment maintenance, significantly improving efficiency and accuracy.
• AI-Powered Real-time Rail Defect Detection: Using AI models to analyze rail conditions in real-time for enhanced safety monitoring.
• Smoke Purification Device for Trains: Improving air quality within train cabins for a more comfortable passenger experience.
• Vibration-Based Railway Construction Personnel Monitoring: Employing vibration wave technology to monitor the dynamic changes in construction environments and enhance worker safety.
• Real-time Monitoring of Load Distribution in Freight Trains: Ensuring the smooth operation and safety of freight trains by monitoring load distribution during transit.
• Computer Vision-Based Pantograph Modal Analysis: Optimizing pantograph monitoring through visual technology to improve the efficiency of electrified railway operations.

The hackathon underscores the vital connection between education, international collaboration, and industry development. Seeed Studio is proud to have been a part of this event and is committed to empowering young innovators to drive the digital transformation of the railway industry.

Congratulation to all participants for their hard work and creativity!