| Title | Laser Triangulation for Track Change and Defect Detection |
|---|---|
| Record ID | 69296 |
| Personal Name Creator |
Fox-Ivey, Richard; Nguyen, Thanh V.; Laurent, John |
| Corporate Creator | Pavemetrics Systems, Inc. |
| Corporate Contributor |
United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Railroad Administration. Office of Railroad Policy and Development; United States. Federal Railroad Administration. Office of Research, Development, and Technology |
| Publisher | United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Railroad Administration |
| Publication Date | 20200300 |
| Language | English |
| Abstract | Pavemetrics Systems Inc. teamed with Amtrak to demonstrate the feasibility of automated track change detection using its Laser Rail Inspection System (LRAIL). LRAIL is a rail inspection system based on the principle of laser triangulation and combines pulsed high-power, invisible, laser line projectors and synchronized cameras to capture a high-resolution-intensity image and 3-dimensional range profile of the railway trackbed. In this project, LRAIL was mounted on a hi-rail testing vehicle and tested at Amtrak’s Bear, DE facility and on mainline track. The LRAIL system includes a library of computer algorithms designed to make automatic measurements, inventory features, and detect changes in trackbed infrastructure. Pavemetrics researchers used algorithms to record and detect changes in fasteners, anchors, spikes, ties, joints, and ballast—as well as record rail manufacturing information. Field validation included the comparison of manual inspections with manual inspections considered "ground-truth." The primary outcome of this project was field-validated evidence of the technology’s ability to automatically detect changes in the track structure and highlight these changes for review and possible action. |
| Rosap ID | dot:44127 |
| Rosap URL | https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/44127 |
| TRT Terms | Triangulation; Laser beams; Algorithms; Computer algorithms; Safety; Inspection; Railroad tracks |
| General Subjects | Laser triangulation; change detection; operational efficiency; rail inspection system; Laser Rail Inspection System; LRIS |
| Geographical Coverage |
United States |
| TRIS Online Accession No |
1734867 |
| Contract Number | DTFR53-17-C-00005 |
| Report Number | DOT/FRA/ORD-20/08 |
| Resource type | Tech Report |
| URL | https://ntlrepository.blob.core.windows.net/lib/69000/69200/69296/DOT-FRA-ORD-20-08_20200306.pdf |
| Format | |
| Database | NTL Digital Repository |