Hitachi Rail Unveils the 'HMAX' AI Solution, Accelerated by NVIDIA, to Optimize Trains, Signaling and Infrastructure

LONDON, Sept 25, 2024 - (JCN Newswire) - Hitachi Rail’s digital asset management suite – powered by NVIDIA AI technology – launches today and is transforming the way transport operators run and maintain railways.

The HMAX (Hyper Mobility Asset Expert) suite is an all-in-one digital asset management platform that providestransport operators with an array of AI-enhanced digital solutions to optimize trains, signaling and infrastructure management.

Hitachi’s digital tools already use digital sensors to remotely monitor the health of assets and improve their performance. The HMAX platform offers a leap forward as live data collection is combined with powerful AI technologyto dramatically enhance the speed, ease and depth of analysis. Using the powerful insights offered by HMAX, operators can now more accurately predict, optimize and transform their services.

Hitachi Rail is leveraging NVIDIA’s industrial AI platform and software tools, and Hitachi Digital’s AI Centre ofExcellence and software engineering expertise, to offer operators more advanced, innovative solutions. The HMAX digital platform’s “edge to cloud” architecture means Hitachi Rail’s customers will be able to remotely access theseinnovations all through a single portal, as well as at operational centers. The solutions are part of Hitachi’s vision to bring the power of AI into the world of Operational Technology, equipping frontline workers, engineers and operators with the powerful benefits of AI.

The collaboration with NVIDIA incorporates the industrial-grade NVIDIA IGX platform with NVIDIA Holoscan sensor processing platform, allowing volumes of data to be processed at the ‘edge’ (on the trains or infrastructure) in real time, with only relevant information sent back to the operational control centers. This enables an unprecedented improvement in the speed that actionable insights reach transport operators, as previously it could take up to ten days for data to be processed in maintenance locations.

Speaking at the company’s showcase at InnoTrans, Berlin, Hitachi Rail CEO, Giuseppe Marino, said:

“At Hitachi Rail, we believe AI has immediate and very impactful applications that will make the railways run more efficiently. Our AI-enabled digital asset management is a solution for optimizing customers’ rail services and enhancing railway performance. We are delighted by our collaboration with NVIDIA, which will combine the power ofAI with advanced Hitachi Rail technologies to enhance railway outcomes for operators.”

Yogesh Agrawal, Vice President of Data Center Business at NVIDIA, said:

“The railway, a system strengthened by the first industrial revolution, is at the forefront of the latest paradigm shift toward a digital transformation with AI. Hitachi Rail’s HMAX solution, powered by NVIDIA IGX and Holoscan, will offerthe real-time computing capabilities needed to help boost the manageability, safety and availability of rail systems to meet the needs of operators and today’s travelers.”

About NVIDIA IGX

NVIDIA IGX is an edge AI platform that combines enterprise-level hardware, software and support. It is purpose-built for industrial and medical environments, delivering powerful AI compute, high-bandwidth sensor processing, enterprise security and functional safety.

The Hitachi Digital AI Center of Excellence (COE) serves as a hub for Hitachi and its customers – providing a common AI infrastructure, governance, and technical and operational expertise. The COE’s knowledge and resourceswill be augmented by the NVIDIA collaboration.

About Hitachi Rail

Hitachi Rail is committed to driving the sustainable mobility transition and has a clear focus on partnering with customers to rethink mobility. Its mission is to help every passenger, customer and community enjoy the benefits of more connected, seamless and sustainable transport.

With revenues of over €7bn and 24,000 employees across more than 50 countries, Hitachi Rail is a trusted partnerto the world’s best transport organisations. The company's reach is global, but the business is local - with successbuilt on developing local talent and investing in people and communities.

Its international capabilities and expertise span every part of the urban, mainline and freight rail ecosystems – fromhigh quality manufacturing and maintenance of rolling stock to secure digital signaling, smart operations and payment systems.