"Using 3D Cameras to Detect Human Presence and Eliminate Accidents at Railway Crossings"

"Using 3D Cameras to Detect Human Presence and Eliminate Accidents at Railway Crossings"

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Welcome to "Learn Japanese from the News."
 
 
Join us as we learn Japanese and about the country through Japanese news stories.
Today's headline is…
 
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3Dカメラで人（ひと）を見（み）つけて踏切（ふみきり）の事故（じこ）をなくす
     
"Using 3D Cameras to Detect Human Presence and Eliminate Accidents at Railway Crossings"
This news story was published on NEWS WEB EASY's website on November 10th.
 
Now let's go over some vocab words that will help us understand what's going on.
 
踏切（ふみきり）
railway crossing or level crossing
 
事故（じこ）
accident
 
Let's keep these words in mind as we listen.
 
「踏切（ふみきり）で電車（でんしゃ）が人（ひと）や車（くるま）にぶつかる事故（じこ）が、最近（さいきん）の5年（ねん）に1000件（けん）ぐらいありました。450人以上（にんいじょう）が亡（な）くなっています。お年寄（としよ）りが踏切（ふみきり）を渡（わた）っているときの事故（じこ）も増（ふ）えています。
西武鉄道（せいぶてつどう）は事故（じこ）をなくすため、新（あたら）しく2つのシステムを使（つか）うことにしました。1つは、踏切（ふみきり）にあるカメラの映像（えいぞう）をAIで調（しら）べるシステムです。踏切（ふみきり）の中（なか）に人（ひと）がいないかどうか、写（うつ）っているものの形（かたち）をAIがチェックします。もう1つは3Dカメラで、写（うつ）っているものの高（たか）さや厚（あつ）さで人（ひと）を見（み）つけます。
どちらも、遮断機（しゃだんき）の棒（ぼう）が下（さ）がり始（はじ）めてから踏切（ふみきり）の中（なか）に人（ひと）や自転車（じてんしゃ）がいる場合（ばあい）、電車（でんしゃ）を運転（うんてん）している人（ひと）に知（し）らせます。」
 
Over the past five years about a thousand accidents have been reported at railway crossings across Japan, with over 450 deaths. Seibu Railway has developed new security systems that use AI and 3D cameras to make crossings safer.
 
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Now we'll break down a few sentences from the story that contain helpful expressions and keywords. Let's start with the following sentence:
 
踏切（ふみきり）で電車（でんしゃ）が人（ひと）や車（くるま）にぶつかる事故（じこ）が、最近（さいきん）の5年（ねん）に1000件（けん）ぐらいありました。
 
"Over the past five years there have been about a thousand accidents in which trains hit people or cars at railway crossings."
 
踏切（ふみきり）means "railway crossing" — a place where a road crosses train tracks.
 
At most crossings in Japan, trains have the right of way, and vehicles and pedestrians have to wait on either side for them to pass. Drivers specifically are required by law to always come to a complete stop and check to see that the crossing is clear before proceeding.  
Pedestrians should also look both ways before crossing. Sometimes a train will pass through only to be immediately followed by another train coming from the opposite direction.   
 
事故（じこ）means "accident."  It's when something bad happens unexpectedly and unintentionally.
We can specify what kind of accident by adding a modifier in front of 事故（じこ）. So for example, 車（くるま）の事故（じこ）is "car accident." 電車（でんしゃ）の事故（じこ）is "train accident."
 
OK, let's move on to our next sentence.
 
西武鉄道（せいぶてつどう）は事故（じこ）をなくすため、新（あたら）しく2つのシステムを使（つか）うことにしました。
 
"In order to eliminate accidents, Seibu Railway has decided to employ two new systems."
 
なくす has two distinct meanings. On the one hand it can refer to "losing" something. 財布（さいふ）をなくした means "I lost my purse or wallet." やる気（き）をなくした means "I lost my motivation." In this way it can be used for both objects and feelings.
On the other hand なくす can also refer to "getting rid of" something. So in our story today 事故（じこ）をなくす suggests making an effort to eliminate accidents. In other words, the railway company's goal is to have zero accidents at railroad crossings.
 
Another example of this usage is the expression 無駄（むだ）をなくす, which means "eliminate waste" or "trim the fat." It refers to getting rid of elements that are seen as unnecessary.
 
And that's all for today.
 
Railway crossings are a common sight in Japan. Stay alert when approaching one.
 
Be sure to tune in next week for more!
 
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