DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF AN INTELLIGENT RAILWAY CROSSING BARRIER SYSTEM USING EMBEDDED SYSTEMS AND INTERNET OF THINGS (IOT) FOR ENHANCED SAFETY AND AUTOMATION

Abstract

An automatic railway level crossing gate system development serves purposes of safety improvement and operational process enhancement. The personnel managing crossing gates at stations acquire information on approaching trains from stations within their operational area. Manual gate operation results in various operational mistakes and delayed responses leading to railway accidents with subsequent traffic congestion. The Automatic Railway Gate System solves these problems by combining IR sensors with ultrasonic sensors and a NodeMCU microcontroller for automated gate operation control. Three IR sensors serve to detect trains for the purpose of gate management control operations. The gate operation automatically stops when ultrasonic sensors detect obstacles near the gate as a safety measure against incidents. The integration of GSM communications enables staff in the station to receive instant SMS messages that improve response times during system issues. The Arduino controls the servo motor gate operation using the combination of an LD-293 motor driver and LCD status display unit. The system provides dependable operations at reasonable costs while its busy service patterns and high-paced train network makes it best suited for these sites. The system uses WiFi technology and IoT features to develop its capabilities that match the needs of forthcoming infrastructure advancement. The project employs modern intelligent technology solutions to safety protocols which substitutes traditional gate control mechanisms.

Keywords: IR Sensors, Ultrasonic Sensors, NodeMCU, Arduino, GSM Module