• About UGPTI
• Staff Directory
• Annual Awards Banquet
• News
• Biennial Highlights
• UGPTI Logos
• Advisory Council
• Contact UGPTI

UGPTI and NDSU Host Japanese Railway Researchers

Posted: May 4, 2018

A delegation from the Central Japan Railway Company visited NDSU April 30 to May 1 to learn more about technology being used in agriculture and transportation that may have applications in railroad operations and safety.

The railway company is primarily a passenger railroad, but, through a visiting researcher program in the United States, learned of numerous technology applications in agriculture. The meeting at NDSU was arranged by Jim Peterson, policy and marketing director for the North Dakota Wheat Commission.

Peterson and UGPTI's Kim Vachal facilitated the meeting. NDSU presenters included:

• Raj Bridgelall, UGPTI, discussed connected vehicle technology and remote sensing applications for enhancing logistics and improving railroad safety.
• John Nowatzki, Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, described unmanned aircraft systems and remote sensing and their applications in agriculture. He also discussed the North Dakota Agricultural Weather Network.
• Aaron Reinholz, director of research operations, provided an overview of research at NDSU.
• Jeremy Straub, Department of Computer Science, discussed big data analytics.
• Xin Sun, Department of Animal Science, described the use of technology to monitor feed use, rate of gain, feed quality and meat quality.

The delegation from the Central Japan Railway Company was led by Rikuhei Daimon from the company's Washington, D.C. office. The group also included company employees who are visiting researchers in the United States: Hiroto Sunahara, at the University of Illinois Rail Transportation and Engineering Center (RailTEC), and Takuya Mihara at the Center for Cyber Security, New York University.

In correspondence following the visit, Daimon expressed his gratitude for the information shared during the visit and said the visiting engineers were inspired by the presentations and advice they received at NDSU. A possible outcome of the visit is that NDSU may host a visiting researcher from the company.

The Central Japan Railway Company and its related business units have offices in Japan, the Washington, D.C., London, and Sydney, AUS., and has more than 18,000 employees. The railway operates on more than 1,200 miles of track and is a leader in high speed rail development and deployment around the world including in the United States.