Federal Railroad Administration Awards IEM Contract to Develop Smart Grade Crossing Monitor

International Electronic Machines Corp. (IEM) announces the award of a two-year contract for continued development of a video-based Smart Grade Crossing Monitor. IEM will advance technology originally developed under a proof of concept contract from FRA that was completed in the fall of 2010.

Grade crossing safety continues to be a significant challenge for railroads and local and state law enforcement agencies and departments of transportation. IEM’s video-based approach can provide all-weather, day-night monitoring of grade crossing that will automatically identify and track vehicles (including bicycles and motorcycles) and pedestrians as they pass through a highway rail grade crossing. In the event that a vehicle or person stops on the track for an extended period of time, IEM’s Smart Grade Crossing Monitor will automatically notify proper authorities.

In addition to serving to improve grade crossing safety, the technology behind this system has direct applicability to improved security monitoring as well and can be used for trespass detection.

Under the current contract, IEM will build and deploy multiple prototypes of the Smart Grade Crossing Monitor first at a site near Albany, N.Y. and later as part of an ongoing FRA-sponsored trespass detection program in West Palm Beach, Fla.