I-Corps: Translation Potential of a Train Protection System

I-Corps项目更广泛的影响是技术的发展，增加了基于人工智能的列车控制系统的经济和生态效益，而不会产生与基于测试的质量保证相关的安全风险。该技术的好处包括提高基础设施利用率，从而提高现有铁路网络的吞吐量。此外，降低能源消耗具有生态效益，同时提高效率使运输成本更低。在经过验证的控制信封内进行安全学习的基础技术可以推广到汽车和机器人等其他系统。这个I-Corps项目利用体验式学习和对行业生态系统的第一手调查来评估该技术的翻译潜力。该解决方案基于经过验证的列车保护系统的开发。列车保护系统通过将运动保持在安全范围内来保护铁路运行。这些系统决定何时让列车减速以避免与其他列车相撞，保持在运动当局的范围内，并安全地通过斜坡、弯道和隧道。该技术是一种经过正式验证的列车保护系统，这意味着它在数学上被证明是安全的，并有计算机检查的证明，确保了高度的安全性和可靠性。目前确保列车软件可靠性的方法是进行大量的测试和模拟。然而，这些方法只能从无限的可能性中检查有限数量的场景，迫使保守的工程决策。相比之下，这些证明通过在更多可能的情况下检查安全性，为正确性提供了更强的保证。由此验证的列车保护系统技术为部署新技术提供了安全途径。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact of this I-Corps project is the development of technology that makes increases the economic and ecological benefits of artificial-intelligence-based train control systems without incurring safety risks associated with testing-based quality assurance. The benefits of the technology include improved infrastructure utilization, leading to increased throughput in the existing rail network. Additionally, lower energy consumption has ecological benefits, while increased efficiency makes transportation cheaper. The underlying technology of safe learning inside a verified control envelope can be generalized to other systems like cars and robots.This I-Corps project utilizes experiential learning coupled with a first-hand investigation of the industry ecosystem to assess the translation potential of the technology. This solution is based on the development of a verified train protection system. Train protection systems safeguard railroad operations by keeping motion within a safe envelope. These systems decide when to slow trains down to avoid collisions with other trains, stay inside movement authorities, and navigate slopes, curves, and tunnels safely. The technology is a train protection system that is formally verified, meaning that it is mathematically proven to be safe, with computer-checked proofs, ensuring high levels of safety and reliability. The current approach to ensuring train software reliability is to run extensive tests and simulations. However, these methods can check only a finite number of scenarios out of the infinite possibilities, forcing conservative engineering decisions. In contrast, these proofs give a stronger guarantee of correctness by checking safety in many more possible cases. The resulting verified train protection system technology provides a safe path to deploy new technologies.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.