AI-Powered Camera Prevents Train Accident, Saves Three Elephants in Odisha
AI-Powered Camera Prevents Train Accident, Saves Three Elephants in Odisha
An AI-powered camera recently helped prevent a serious train accident in the Rourkela forest area of Sundargarh district, Odisha. The incident could have harmed three elephants, but quick action by the railway and forest departments avoided disaster.
AI camera captures & zooms into the elephants approaching the railway line, sending alerts to the control room for stopping the train.
— Susanta Nanda (@susantananda3) December 8, 2024
We had solutions. Happy to see that the ones implemented are now giving results.These 4 cameras along the track was part of mitigation measures. pic.twitter.com/RBNe0hPOnl
Retired Indian Forest Service officer Susanta Nanda shared that the AI camera detected a young elephant and two adults near the railway tracks. It immediately alerted the Forest Department’s control room. The camera tracked the elephants’ movements and sent real-time location updates and images to both the railway and forest control teams. This allowed the railways to delay a cargo train by 30 minutes, ensuring the elephants crossed safely.
Nanda explained on X (formerly Twitter) that the AI camera zoomed in on the elephants and sent an alert to stop the train. He noted that the cameras, funded by RSP as part of a wildlife conservation plan, are part of a pilot project in the Rourkela Forest Division. There are plans to expand the project to other forest divisions in Keonjhar and Bonai.
A video of the incident, shared on December 8, has been viewed over 290,000 times and received many positive reactions. One user praised the technology, saying it could also be used to track poachers in the future. Another user thanked Nanda and his team for their efforts.
In May, the Tamil Nadu Forest Department installed 12 AI camera towers along two railway routes in Madukkarai to prevent similar accidents, according to BBC News.
