Fit-for-duty detection and alerting system for rail and transit

A method for monitoring a train, comprising the steps of:

• authenticating said train operator by a local computer;
• presenting a psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) software module to said train operator on said local computer and compiling a result;
• capturing a video stream of said train operator including a sequence of frames;
• analyzing a frame of said captured video stream and locating the train operator's eyes;
• analyzing a sequence of frames of said captured video stream using a PERcentage of eye CLOSure (PERCLOS) algorithm to track the vehicle operator's eyes;
• compiling a PERCLOS metric based on said analyzing step;
• analyzing the combined metrics of the PVT software module and PERCLOS software module, train operator data, and external data using an analytical Fit-for-Duty software module and compiling a categorical severity metric corresponding to said train operator's fitness-for-duty;
• and
• analyzing the categorical severity metric and transmitting an alert to a remote location.

A method for detecting transition of a train operators from a state of fitness to a state of incapacitation in real time by the steps of:

• providing in a train a computer control panel in wireless communication with a central command center, and a plurality of IP video cameras in operable communication with said control panel for the purposes of receiving train-operator video;
• maintaining a profile of a train operator at said central command center, said profile including historical safety data;
• monitoring said train operator at said control panel for safety-relevant events and transmitting and recording each said event at said central command center;
• classifying recorded events as one of a common cause failure, a non-self-revealing failure, and an incapacitation event capable of producing an unsafe outcome;
• analyzing each said recorded event in real time in association with said operator profile and said event classification to calculate a hazard rate;
• updating said profile of said train operator at said central command center.