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Supply Side: Duos, Rail Vision

Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor
Duos Technologies is a Jacksonville, Fla.-based supplier of automated railcar inspection portals (pictured) and artificial intelligence (AI) models. (Photograph Courtesy of Duos Technologies)

Duos Technologies is a Jacksonville, Fla.-based supplier of automated railcar inspection portals (pictured) and artificial intelligence (AI) models. (Photograph Courtesy of Duos Technologies)

Duos Technologies expands its reach in Mexico. Also, Rail Vision Ltd. lands a switch-yard system contract from a U.S.-based rail and leasing services company.

Jacksonville, Fla.-based Duos Technologies reports that it now has 30 artificial intelligence (AI) models in operation at a Class I railroad location in Mexico. While the railroad was not identified, Duos customers include Ferromex and Kansas City Southern de Mexico, as well as Amtrak, CN, CSX, Metra, Toronto Transit Commission, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The active AI models represent a majority of those available in Duos’ AI detection catalogue, the company says, all of which “work in conjunction with the Federal Railroad Administration’s mandated inspection points and are intended to give the railroad’s designated inspectors an enhanced toolset … to identify actual or potential mechanical defects.” Early identification of such defects can lead to “improved operational efficiencies, including higher throughput and lower costs,” according to Duos.

“We made a strategic decision in 2021 to revamp our entire AI model research and development processes and to significantly increase our investment in AI production,” Duos CEO Chuck Ferry says. “Those efforts have translated to a loyal customer base that now regularly collaborates with us to help relieve residual pain points in their detection processes. Our deployment with this Class I customer is a major achievement as we further build out our AI capabilities, and we welcome the continued support from our key stakeholders as we expand our offerings moving forward.”

Duos notes that it expects to record more than $15 million in revenues for full-year 2022 and between $20 million and $21 million for fiscal year 2023. “A greater percentage of that revenue is now from high-margin, recurring revenue sources including the AI deployments and related support contracts,” the company says.

In related developments, Duos last month reported achieving a 100% renewal rate of its recurring revenue contracts throughout 2022.

Rail Vision Switch Yard System (Photograph Courtesy of Rail Vision Ltd.)

Ra’anana, Israel-based Rail Vision reports that a U.S.-based rail and leasing services company has purchased its switch yard system for $140,000, including support. The unnamed customer, which is said to offer in-plant rail switching and material handling services, will evaluate the system’s performance during a six-month trial.

According to Rail Vision, the switch yard system combines “advanced vision sensors with artificial intelligence and deep learning technologies” to detect and classify objects within a range of up to 219 yards (200 meters), “regardless of weather and light conditions.” The system also enables the monitoring of “operational dead zones” to facilitate secure railcar coupling, and sends real-time visual and acoustic alerts to remote operators and drivers. Rail Visions reports that the system can detect switch states to support remote coupling.

The Rail Vision Switch Yard System is already in use at Israel Railways and at SBB Cargo, a subsidiary of Swiss Federal Railways.

According to Rail Vision CEO Shahar Hania, the U.S.-based rail and leasing services company “plans to conduct additional testing over a six-month trial period to further evaluate the benefits of implementing our technology across their fleet” and is in talks with Rail Vision for “potential implementation of Automatic Train Operation (ATO) management software.”

Separately, Rail Vision last month announced the appointment of Mark Cleobury as its Chairman of the Board. Cleobury served previously as Senior Vice President of Knorr-Bremse’s Rail Systems Division and brings more than four decades of global experience in the rail industry.

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