Next Generation Barrier System Scouting

A transport infrastructure provider was interested in obtaining a detailed understanding of current and novel barrier technologies and related materials in order to improve safety at high-risk infrastructure locations.

The SI team landscaped and investigated available and research stage barrier mechanisms and materials, with a focus on solutions that could be used to improve barrier machine performance. Research was directed at systems that are currently applied globally, with a focus on parallel industries i.e. outside of transport. Industry and academic experts across 20 different industries were interviewed and a total of 9 technology areas were identified.

Through discussions with subject experts and system developers, state of the art and emerging barrier technologies were landscaped. We provided our client with an in-depth understanding of current and future solutions – informing them of key technologies that will reduce reliability issues in safety-critical systems in their infrastructure.

The long-term future is in many ways more predictable than the short-term – The world evolves in the direction of Free, Perfect & Now. No matter how good a mitigation solution is, it will one day be beaten by the best prevention solution.  And no matter how good the prevention solution is, it will be beaten by a ‘super-system solution. This helps determine ‘where to play’.