Singapore Mass Rapid Transit (SMRT) and McLaren Applied Technologies (best known for their work in F1 Racing) have announced a Memorandum of Understanding which will see them combine expertise to improve rail operations.
Over a Grand Prix season, the McLaren race team captures an average of more than 12 billion real-time data points from over 300 sensors embedded on its two race cars. Expert analysis of the data allows the team to monitor in real-time, perform detailed analysis and make informed decisions in mission control to optimise on-track performance. The agreement will see McLaren Applied Technologies transferring its expertise in capturing, connecting and analysing data from the racetrack to the rail track. The initial agreement will focus on intelligent vehicle maintenance on the SMRT fleet in Singapore, with the intention to provide a Proof of Concept (PoC) for an intelligent vehicle monitoring solution suitable for adoption on a global scale.
By late 2018, condition monitoring sensors and high-speed loggers used in Formula 1 will be installed onto the first SMRT train to monitor the performance of Mass Rapid Transport (MRT) trains. This will be a world first for the industry, with engineers at SMRT and McLaren Applied Technologies working together to adapt race car condition-monitoring technologies directly from racing to rail. These technologies can be readily adapted for use on trains. As in motorsport, like rail, space is at a premium and durability is essential, so technologies need to be both compact and robust.
Combining McLaren Applied Technologies’ expertise in capturing, connecting and analysing data with SMRT’s heritage in optimising the passenger experience in Singapore, will derive insight and implement innovative technology solutions to change maintenance regimes around the dynamic vehicle condition.