AIVR Connect
What is it
AIVR Connect is a permanently installed forward-facing video and data capture system fitted to measurement and in-service trains, streaming high-definition rail corridor imagery and telemetry into the AIVR Cloud platform for remote inspection and analysis. It forms part of the wider AIVR product suite from One Big Circle, providing continuous, route-wide visual coverage that can be accessed securely via a browser by authorised rail staff.
AIVR Connect is an integrated hardware and software package that couples forward-facing video (and other sensors where installed) with location, mileage and asset context derived from systems such as GPS and engineers’ line references. The onboard unit automatically records during operation and pushes data via 4G/5G networks to the central AIVR Platform, where users can review, annotate, measure and export imagery and reports.
AIVR Connect acts as a swarm device by sharing upload capacity across multiple units on the same train. When one device’s antenna has a stronger connection, other devices route their data through it via the central hub. This ensures continuous cloud transmission even when most antennas experience weak or lost signal, maximising connectivity in poor coverage areas.
Why it matters
The system enables remote digital inspection of the lineside and track environment, significantly reducing “boots on ballast” and the need for cab rides and site visits, which improves workforce safety. By giving engineers rapid access to up-to-date imagery and AI-assisted analytics, it helps identify emerging defects, plan access more efficiently and shorten the time between issue detection and intervention.
Where it is used
AIVR technology, including Connect, is deployed extensively across the UK rail network on both dedicated infrastructure monitoring trains and in-service passenger fleets. Case studies reference use on Network Rail Infrastructure Monitoring trains and on routes in regions such as North West & Central, supporting applications from switches and crossings inspection to overhead line and third-rail monitoring.
Who uses it
Users span many rail disciplines: permanent way, electrification and plant, operations, structures, vegetation management, access planning and project delivery teams. Organisations such as Network Rail and its contractors access the platform through individual licences, with large user communities using AIVR data for routine inspection, investigations, access planning and reporting.
How it works
Onboard, AIVR Connect continuously captures forward-facing video (and, where fitted, additional modalities such as thermal or line-scan) tied to precise location and mileage references. Data is uploaded via 4G/5G to the cloud platform, where tools for map-based navigation, distance and clearance measurement, annotation, exporting and AI-driven detections (for example, conductor rail or OLE issues) support end-to-end digital inspection workflows.