Machines With Vision Limited

Machine With Vision develops pioneering solutions for the rail sector.

Our award-winning solutions have been deployed on the railways of Network Rail, Deutsche Bahn and SBB. Edinburgh-based, we were founded in 2016.

RailLoc

A single centralised map of track features, with automatically positioned condition data, from inspection and in-service trains.

At Machines With Vision, we take a pioneering approach to the challenge of location and positioning in the rail sector.  Approaching the problem from a computer vision perspective, by looking down at the 4-foot, it’s possible to provide a unique position using visible features such as ballast structure and orientation of bolts, cracks and marks on sleepers.

From this, we create a map of rail track features, on which infrastructure monitoring data is positioned, with better than 1m accuracy, all of the time, everywhere on the railway network, in near real-time.

• Positional accuracy better than 1m, and validated to within 30mm.
• Works everywhere, including GNSS challenged areas like tunnels and stations.
• Requires no boots on ballast, no installation or maintenance of the track-based physical infrastructure.
• Works in near real time (no waiting for the end of shift to start processing).
• Simple installation and a small footprint on the vehicle.
• Gives unambiguous position – the correct track every time.

Fault Navigator

Underpinned by RailLoc technology, Fault Navigator is a companion app developed to reduce the number of repeat visits to a site and the time spent finding the location of a fault. In doing so it directly improves the safety of track maintenance engineers and gets boots-off-ballast.

The app directs a track worker to a pre-selected fault, providing visual and audible prompts for directions, significantly reducing the length of section of track that a worker needs to test to find the suspect/defect. This ultimately leads to a more definitive rejection of a suspect or validation of a defect.

Technology

Unique state-of-the-art sensors capture and process images up to 200km/hr, offering a millimeter-accurate solution with no latency or motion blur.

Our rail industry approved Internet of Things (IoT) positioning sensors are installed on the underside of diagnostic or passenger trains, and the geolocation of any sensor is available through our cloud-based software Application Programming Interface (API).

Latest Awards

In September 2023, Machines With Vision, together with our Class 153 Project partners – Network Rail, Porterbrook, DG8 and One Big Circle, received the National Rail Awards 2023 award for ‘Safety Achievement of the Year’ for our work on safer switches and crossings, at the National Rail Awards 2023.