Optoelectronic train positioning aid

Drivers sometimes have to stop a train at a precise position, in zones with no cellular coverage at all. The information has to reach the cab over its own radio link, and be readable at a glance.

• A track-side optoelectronic sensor works with retroreflectors to detect the train's position.
• A point-to-point LoRa link carries the status to a receiver unit in the driver's cab.
• The cab unit drives clear LED indicators so the driver can position the train without guesswork.

• Electronic schematics, Raspberry Pi boards with LoRa HATs.
• Enclosures designed in Onshape and 3D printed for mounting and weather protection on site.

Validated in the field, and delivered with full documentation — schematics, CAD files and a deployment guide — so the teams can install and maintain it without me.

• Point-to-point LoRa: no gateway and no cellular network needed in an isolated area, with low latency between the track and the cab.
• LED signalling for real-time guidance, readable at a glance by field teams.
• A custom 3D-printed enclosure for field integration: protection, mounting and resistance to outdoor conditions.
• Designed and validated under the safety constraints of a high-speed railway environment.

An autonomous, reliable, low-latency system, developed and deployed end to end — from the electronic schematic to the physical enclosure and on to commissioning in the field.