Safe Rail Transportation in the Age of Industry 4.0
Supporting the below United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:支持以下聯合國可持續發展目標：支持以下联合国可持续发展目标：
Rail is safe, efficient, and environmentally friendly for moving large volumes of passengers and freight over long distances. Safety is the top priority for global rail systems. In the age of Industry 4.0 empowered by the use of the Internet of Things (IoT), advanced communications technologies, artificial intelligence (AI), and automation technologies, the rail transportation system is stepping onto a new phase of rapid development toward proactive, digital, intelligent safety and risk management. This presentation will introduce several cross-disciplinary, rail-centric AI and data analytics-related studies conducted at the Rail and Transit Program at Rutgers University, in close collaboration with the U.S. rail industry. Particular examples include predictive modeling of rail infrastructure degradation, as well as reducing fatalities and injuries on railways through the use of AI and communications-based advanced train control technologies.
Prof. Xiang Liu is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Rutgers University. Dr. Liu has founded and led the Rutgers Rail and Transit Program since 2014. At Rutgers, Dr. Liu directs a portfolio of rail-centric research, education, and workforce development initiatives. His research focuses on the application of artificial intelligence, big data, and automation technologies to the improvement of rail operational safety and efficiency. Dr. Liu has published over 100 papers in peer-reviewed journals and international conferences. Dr. Liu is currently the Associate Editor of the Journal of Rail Transport Planning & Management, and the Journal of Smart and Resilient Transportation. Dr. Liu has received four “Best Paper” awards from two committees of the Transportation Research Board (TRB), the “Educator of the Year 2017” award, and the “Researcher of the Year 2018” award, both in New Jersey. In 2020, he received an “Outstanding Young Alumni Achievement” award from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) Civil and Environmental Department in recognition of the successful rail program that he has developed at Rutgers University. Dr. Liu received a B.S. degree from Shanghai Jiaotong University in China, and an M.S. and Ph.D. both from UIUC. His former students now work at the University of Houston, Shanghai Jiaotong University, JD.com, Amazon, New Jersey Department of Transportation, and several other universities and companies in the United States and China.