Coronavirus disease has created a pandemic scenario all over the globe and as until the date the remedies or vaccine for humans everyday save you from corona is not determined and also the growing spread and uncontrollable effect at the human life is hampering the economic system. Government has already taken preventive measures in the form of lockdown to mitigate the risk of infection and control the outbreak of the virus. The improvement of advanced technology consisting of OEMs and investors reduce innovation and are focusing on cash management. Physical distancing has a giant impact on public transport and preferences. Many people that own their personal automobile to continue to use that in order to reduce risk and the demand for biking and walking will also increase. Due to lockdown many transport mode were also closed and this resulted in the loss of revenue for the transport industry.
For instance,
- Domestic wholesalers of passenger vehicles rose to 4.65% year-on-year to 2.64 lakh units in November according to the data released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers. Factory-gate shipments of cars and utility vehicles continued to rise, albeit at a slower pace than earlier months on account of automakers efforts to keep inventory at dealer in check as festive season continue to come.
AFTERMATH STRATEGIES FOR AUTONOMOUS TRAIN MARKET AND GOVERNMENT ROLE
The COVID-19 created major impact on the manufacturing operations as the governments of various countries highlighted the importance of health and safety which increased demand of the smart solutions at manufacturing operations. Railways were one of the most innovative sectors sector of economy and a major actor of industrial revolution. The internets of things and big data have provided the rail sector with an opportunity to embark upon a new phase of technological innovation.
For instance, the vast quantity of data generated by these digital technologies can be very useful for rail companies to modify their organizational structure their performance and add new value for the customer. The artificial intelligence can help companies to improve their manufacturing, operations and maintenance.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE MARKET IN COVID 19 SITUATIONS
The most common example of uses of AI in rail industry is its contribution to the automation of train operation (ATO). This function transfers responsibility for managing operations from the driver to the train control system. This is the opportunity for autonomous train which reduces human cost and mishaps due to human error.
For instance, the Indian Government has tested its first driverless train. This driverless strain will have an operational speed of 85km/hr to 95km/hr. these trains are sunning on the technology called Automatic Train operations (ATO) platform.
For instance,
Technical developments in the last century have made the operation of driverless train operation (DTO) possible. There is a growing trend to deploy DTO globally. According to data, there are 674 km of automated of metro in operation.
STRATEGIC DECISIONS FOR MANUFACTURERS AFTER COVID-19 TO GAIN COMPETITIVE MARKET SHARE
The companies have taken many strategic decisions to advantage marketplace their market share after COVID-19. The heavy investments were finished in R&D to leverage the technological advancements in AI big data in autonomous train market.
Develop new solution
The Texas based railroad company had used AI to improve how it maintains its tracks and freight cars. It uses machine vision to capture and analyze 750,000 images every day to detect the broken wheels and other malfunctions occurred in the train.
wheels and other malfunctions occurred in the train.
Offer new services to manage the autonomous train
The companies are trying to offer new services to customers using AI and big data. The implementation of digital technologies will eventually result in the betterment of manufacturing and operations of the companies.
Other growth opportunities for market players to pursue in 2020
Stronger collaboration in the supply chain process and more focus on risk management and supply chain resiliency are the main drivers of the autonomous train market. This also includes disruptions can be detected on time, close cooperation with supplier and distributors so alternative supply routes can be found on emergency with good incident response plan.
Price Impact
The COVID-19 lockdown imposed by the governments of the countries had adversely impacted the prices of the transportation due to the implementation of social distancing. The ATO (Australian Taxation Office) technology implementation cost is high which has ultimately increased the price for the customers.
Impact on Demand
The demand for public transport has decreased due to increase in the risk of infection which has ultimately affected the revenue of the autonomous train industry. The implementation of ATO technology in autonomous train has also hiked the transportation cost in the industry. People have started using their own cars to mitigate the risk of infection which resulted in the demand for public transport.
Impact on Supply Chain
The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected the supply chain market which results in the shortage of supply of parts, services which were provided by the companies. The supply chain market also affected the cost of the delivering goods due to risk indulged.
Conclusion
The operational intelligence is important factor for the rail operator to concentrate on as they should be aware of potential failures they happen. Rail industry must tackle specific challenges as well as common challenges. The autonomous trains which are running in an open environment should be equipped with geolocation sensors which will help to tackle accidents and mishaps. The financing and digital and AI research is another major common challenge faced by rail industry. The automation will ultimately help in tackling mishaps and also for the betterment of human life.
