Experiment with Google Pixels: New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) collaborated with Google to use Google Pixel smartphones for track inspections on the subway system. How It Worked: Six Pixel phones were mounted on subway cars, using their sensors and external microphones to detect track defects by recording audio, vibration, and location data. AI Technology: The collected data was used to train AI models to predict track issues. The system, known as TrackInspect, identified 92% of defects later confirmed by human inspectors. Human Involvement: Despite the technology, human inspectors are still essential for maintenance and verification. Robert Sarno, an assistant chief track officer, played a significant role in labeling the data collected by the phones. Future Plans: The MTA and Google plan to expand the experiment to a full pilot project, with the aim of creating a modernized system to automatically identify and organize track repairs.
The goal is to catch defects early to minimize service disruptions for the 3.7 million daily subway riders in New York City.
If they really need, they could plug in an external mic.
There’s a surprising amount of sensors in our phones that 30 years ago would have been expensive dedicated equipment. If a phone is enough for the tests, great.