Railroad companies are looking at company’s mist ™ mesh network technology
VIENNA, Virginia – October 17, 2012 - Cubic Global Tracking Solutions, the asset visibility solutions provider for Cubic Corporation (NYSE: CUB), announced today that a variant of a Cubic product now being by US Army logistics personnel to keep track of Army vehicles in Kuwait is being studied for use by the U.S. railroad industry.
Cubic recently participated in a test of its ultra low-power mist™ mesh (802.15.4) network technology to demonstrate that mesh networks can provide significant advantages to the rail industry, including reducing the risk of derailment and better utilization of rail cars. During the test, Cubic mesh components were placed on both stationary and in-motion railroad trains.
“We believe our technology has great potential to reduce risk in rail operations because it allows rail operators to continuously monitor and report the position, status and security of their assets, including cargo doors and wheel bearings,” said Michael H. Bigbee, vice president of business development for Cubic Global Tracking Solutions. “Cubic’s network has the potential to send an alert from wheel bearings to the engineer quickly enough to prevent or reduce the consequences of derailing. And it can also help reduce the amount of time containers and rail cars are inactive in the rail yard.”
Cubic’s technology can increase operating safety and efficiency by providing real-time data and analysis on crucial operational data. At present, only very limited rail car serial number information is captured when trains pass stationary monitoring and communications equipment. The rail industry needs a system independent of trackside equipment for real-time monitoring and event notification.
Mesh networks integrate sensors, nodes and communications gateway to provide near real-time data transmission. Incorporating wireless mesh, satellite and cellular communications, Cubic’s network features both real-time monitoring and instant reporting.
Cubic’s Mesh Asset Tags are a key component of the mesh network being tested. These tags are currently being used to track the position and status of U.S. Army tactical vehicles parked in Kuwait while awaiting redeployment or return to the United States. In the commercial rail environment, they will give rail operators the ability to monitor wheel bearings, weight and balance, temperature, humidity, door state, G-force, movement, tanker car hatches and valves, and rail support equipment.
About Cubic Global Tracking Solutions
Cubic Global Tracking Solutions is a provider of asset-visibility systems and services. Cubic’s secure asset monitoring solutions provide ongoing situational awareness across an enterprise, and require limited or no infrastructure.
About Cubic Corporation
Cubic Corporation is the parent company of three major business segments: Defense Systems, Mission Support Services and Transportation Systems. Cubic Defense Systems is a leading provider of realistic combat training systems, cyber technologies, asset tracking solutions, and defense electronics. Mission Support Services is a leading provider of training, operations, maintenance, technical and other support services for the U.S. and allied forces. Cubic Transportation Systems is the world’s leading provider of automated fare collection systems and services for public transit authorities. For more information about Cubic, see the company's website at www.cubic.com.