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

Hello everyone.

Welcome to "Learn Japanese from the News."

Thanks for joining us.

In this program, we'll learn Japanese and about the country through Japanese news stories.

Today we're talking about "fumikiri," or "railway crossings."

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

Chiara, what do you think about Japan's "fumikiri?"

Well, to be perfectly honest I had never really thought about it.

But in the US and Italy, I mainly remember them popping up sometimes in the countryside.

But here in Japan there are so many, often in very busy urban areas.

Right.

Today's story is about finding ways to make crossings safer.

But before we go to the news clip, let's go over some words to listen for.

"jiko."

accident.

"densha."

train.

"shadan-ki."

railway crossing gate.

OK, let's watch the news clip.

Over the past five years,
there have been about 1,000 accidents in which trains hit people or cars
at railway crossings.

More than 450 people have died.

There are also more accidents involving
older adults crossing the railroad.

In order to eliminate accidents, Seibu Railway has decided
to employ two new systems.

One is a system that uses AI to examine
the video feed from cameras at crossings.

The AI checks the shape
of objects in the image to see if there are people
inside the crossing.

The other uses 3D cameras
to detect humans based on the height and width
of objects in the image.

Both will notify the train operator if there are people or bicycles
inside the crossing

after the gate arms
start to come down.

This could be lifesaving, as these systems could detect somebody who's unconscious on the lines, or who mistakenly stumbled onto the tracks in the dark, and so that the train operators can get a warning.

Exactly.

Now, let's review some sentences from the story.

Over the past five years, there have been about 1,000 accidents in which trains hit people or cars at railroad crossings.

More than 450 people have died.

Now read along with me.

"fumikiri de densha ga hito ya kuruma ni butsukaru jiko ga saikin no go-nen ni sen-ken gurai arimashita

yon-hyaku-gojuu-nin ijoo ga nakunatte imasu."

I see, so if you average that over five years, that's about 200 accidents a year, and about 90 deaths.

So that does seem quite high.

Yes.

The numbers have been steadily declining every year.

But it's very unfortunate that there are still many accidents.

One of the reasons for the high figures is the sheer number of railway crossings in Japan.

Tokyo, for example, has significantly more than other major cities around the world.

Japanese railway companies have been working to remove street level crossings nationwide.

Over the past 60 years they've reduced the number by more than half.

Still, more than 30,000 remain.

Well, it's no wonder operators are looking for technological solutions to help monitor all these locations.

Right. OK.

Let's move on to our next sentence.

(Both systems) will notify the train operator if there are people or bicycles inside the crossing after the gate arms start to come down.

Now read along with me.

"shadan-ki no boo ga sagari hajimete kara fumikiri no naka ni hito ya jitensha ga iru baai

densha o unten-shiteiru hito ni shirasemasu."

Chiara, how long do you think it takes for the train to arrive after the "shadanki" comes down at a crossing?

Like, maybe a minute?

According to standards set by the transport ministry, trains should arrive at a crossing about 20 seconds after the gates are lowered

or about 30 seconds once the crossing alarm starts.

As these are guidelines, actual times may be even shorter.

Oh my. So you actually really don't have very much time once they start coming down before the train passes through.

Right.

OK, now let's check in with Tokunaga-sensei for a Japanese lesson.

"Jiko" means “accident” — when something bad
that happens unexpectedly.

We can use a modifier
to describe the type of accident.

"Kuruma no jiko" and "densha no jiko"
both describe the vehicle involved.

Accidents involving vehicles
are called "kootsuu-jiko."

Accidents resulting in casualties
are called "jinshin-jiko."

Today’s story contains the phrase “Fumikiri de densha ga hito ya
kuruma ni butsukaru jiko.”

In this way, we can modify "jiko"
with a descriptive phrase.

Now let's talk about some safety tips that will help prevent accidents at crossings.

First and foremost, once the alarm starts ringing, do not attempt to enter the crossing.

If you happen to be in the middle of the tracks, quickly finish crossing.

Drivers in particular should always come to a complete stop before entering.

In Japanese we say "ichiji-teeshi."

Proceed only after any cars in front of you have completely crossed.

Now, if there's no crossing signal, use your eyes and ears to make sure it's clear before proceeding.

Right.

But what should someone do if their car suddenly stops in the middle of the tracks?

Usually there will be a "hijoo-botan," that is, an emergency button on either side of the crossing.

Press the button to notify oncoming trains.

Or let's say you're pushing a stroller and the wheels become stuck.

Get your child out of the seat, get out of the crossing, then push the button.

Right.

You'll often see the words "hijoo-botan" written in bright red.

These days you'll also see more and more encasements that are bright yellow, so it makes them much easier to spot at night.

Some even say "emergency button" in English.

So if you're in trouble or see someone in need of help, don't hesitate to push the button.

If you're a bystander and you try to enter the crossing to help, you're putting yourself in danger as well.

The most important thing you can do is to press the button immediately to notify any approaching trains.

But let's say the gates close while you're inside the crossing.

The gate arms are designed so you can pass through them with your car or lift them easily by hand.

In the event that you are trapped
between crossing gates remember than you can
lift up the bar to escape.

So, while you want to get out of harm's way as quickly as possible, there is no reason to panic.

Exactly.

Finally, let's end on a somber note by considering a particular accident from 2021 - so not too long ago.

It involves a woman in Tokyo who was struck and killed by a train at a crossing right by her house.

Authorities believe she was distracted by her phone and stopped in the middle of the crossing.

They say it's likely she wasn't aware that there was a train approaching.

Yes, it's very sad and also scary because I think a lot of us absentmindly pull out our phones when at traffic crossings or "fumikiri."

So it reminds us that we really have to be present and pay attention to our surroundings.

Yes, I agree.

Remember to stay alert, and don't hesitate to help if you see someone in trouble.

We'll see you next time.

See you soon.