DEFINING OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR AN OBSTACLE DETECTION SYSTEM USING A RISK-BASED APPROACH

Abstract

Railway traffic automation has recently become a generally accepted trend and represents one of the main conditions for further development of this type of transport. Automatic control of trains/traction units implies the introduction of an obstacle detection system. The usual approach to defining operational requirements for the development of new technical systems on railways is the so-called project approach. Operational requirements for a new system are defined in advance, according to valid standards, defined goals and available technology. However, the development of an obstacle detection systems has its own specificities, where this approach does not necessarily give satisfactory results. Successful functioning of this system in terms of railway traffic safety, i.e., successful detection of obstacles, is not a goal in itself, the goal is to avoid an obstacle or minimize its negative impact as much as possible. In order to achieve this, in addition to successfully detecting an obstacle, it is necessary to react adequately to it. Therefore, to define operational requirements for such a system, it is necessary to start from the analysis of the requirements in terms of adequate response and not from the requirements in terms of obstacle detection. This implies the application of a risk-based approach.