Solving for tomorrow
Hitachi delivers cutting-edge innovations that not only tackle the world’s most complex transportation challenges, but also serve the greater good.
By WP BrandStudio
Today, more than half of the world’s population lives in cities, with the proportion expected to increase to two-thirds by 2050. Each week alone, an estimated 1.3 million people worldwide put down roots in a city, which can offer myriad job, education and lifestyle opportunities. As the influx of people into towns and cities increasingly rises; however, so too do the unprecedented economic, infrastructure and environmental challenges that accompany this rapid urbanization.
Here’s the good news: by leveraging technological innovation and intelligent urban planning, cities can also serve as hubs for sustainable development, charting a path toward transformative change on a global scale. Businesses that take the lead in solving society’s most pressing pain points will not only have a hand in reshaping traditional models of urban development, but more importantly, help improve the quality of life for generations of citizens in a lasting, positive way.
Hitachi is among the organizations at the forefront of this urban technological revolution, notably in the realm of solving complex transportation challenges. The global technology conglomerate is steadfast in its quest to develop cutting-edge solutions that both meet consumers’ growing demands for cleaner, smarter and faster transportation, but also contribute to more sustainable societies. And, it’s not simply digital transformation that the company is advancing, emphasizes Ken Mizoguchi, Hitachi, Ltd.’s Head of U.S. Government Relations. “This is about human-centric digital transformation,” he says. “We are designing and delivering technological solutions that are grounded in the human experience—that is, we are driving change that betters people’s lives.”
Learn more about how Hitachi is powering good in the world through advanced technology solutions in transportation.
Rail
Urban populations are growing at an inexorable pace, and with this comes worsening traffic congestion and an ever-urgent need for next-generation mobility. To that end, many people expect intelligent rail services to play a critical supporting role in building a more sustainable society. “We have tremendous respect for our clients. Their challenges are unique in that they must provide ever safer, more modern and more convenient solutions to move people and goods through aging infrastructure,” says Jason White, CEO of Hitachi Rail STS USA, Inc. “Beyond the foundation of signaling and the engineering to support their unique needs, we understand their aspirations to offer passengers integrated solutions that are faster, cleaner and more convenient, without compromising on safety. They’re looking for ways to reduce congestion within the city center and between cities, as well as how to integrate smart solutions that help to manage people flow, ticketing, safety, and security. For transit and freight rail customers, they want to manage their fleets and capital in the best possible manner with the best passenger experience.”
That’s where Hitachi’s implementation of emerging digital technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and data analytics—things like sensors that monitor track conditions and internal maintenance needs—can enhance the efficiency of rail travel, thereby improving passenger convenience and operations alike.
And the social benefits are intrinsic. “Our rail transit solutions connect communities, create opportunity and open up access for shared economic growth,” says Mizoguchi. It’s not just about transportation, he continues, “The challenges we face today are complex, that’s true. But, Hitachi and its partners are creating innovative solutions just as we have for more than a century. Our motivation is simple. Our technology is anything but.”
Edoardo La Ficara, president of the Operations & Maintenance Business for Hitachi Rail STS, put it this way during The Washington Post Live “Transformers: Cities” event: “Society is changing, and so is the way we think about mobility. We strongly believe in inclusive mobility. At the core, our advanced solutions are about people—the end user—not about deploying technology for the sake of technological progress.” These words underpin Hitachi’s commitment to the values of social, environmental and economic progress—key drivers of the company’s mission to deliver innovation that changes the world for the better.
Smart Cities
When it comes to enhancing public safety and traffic management in a municipality, the more clarity one has on the overall network, the better. “Transit authorities, in particular, are working to achieve the goal of safely, economically and sustainably moving people in their cities, and they need to be able to look at the whole of the mobility ecosystem,” says White. “They have to operate large, complex systems and be able to account for vital safety requirements. They have to be able to deal with urban development and changing technology. Being a valued partner means that Hitachi’s innovations are designed to help them solve increasingly complex challenges.”
By utilizing smart visualization technology and data sharing capabilities, Hitachi is empowering cities—as well as their residents—to see that bigger picture. Hitachi’s Visualization Platform edge-capture devices and Visualization Suite software accelerates proactive response by allowing, for example, the ability for city officials to monitor traffic in real-time, adjust signal timing to manage congestion and capture all critical views of an event under investigation.
Environment
Cities are growing denser by the year, and in many cases, metropolitan areas are also expanding outward. As more municipalities experience the effects of sprawl that can result from rapid population shifts and growth, officials face an increasing number of vehicles on the roads, as well as a new problem: transportation’s effect on the environment.
Connected Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs) are one solution. Hybrid driverless cars that are connected to smart city infrastructure can utilize AI and real-time data to choose the most fuel-efficient routes while, at the same time, monitor and optimize the vehicle’s power usage or even recycle excess power from the car’s motor into the city’s power grid.
When it comes to mass transportation, Hitachi’s eco-friendly, high-performance rail systems are not only helping to solve the congestion conundrum in urban areas around the world, but also giving suburban dwellers greener and more affordable transportation options. And moving goods by freight rail over land is considered a smart, sustainable way to ship, with one gallon of fuel needed to move one ton of goods nearly 480 miles while reducing overall congestion on streets and roads.
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