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High Speed Rail IDEA Project 49 [Completed (IDEA)]
Machine Vision for Railroad Equipment Undercarriage Inspection
| Project Data |
| Funds: |
$99,849 |
| Staff Responsibility: |
Chuck Taylor |
| Effective Date: |
9/13/2005 |
| Completion Date: |
12/31/2007 |
| Fiscal Year: |
2005 |
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This was a concept exploration contract to build on previous work by the University of Illinois in the development of a machine vision system for wayside inspection of rail vehicles. Tasks included the development of component identification algorithms that use image data from a conventional digital camera to identify wheels, bolts, and brake shoe location. This project developed additional capabilities for such systems for the inspection of the underside of railroad passenger equipment. Critical passenger car inspection tasks investigated include disk brake malfunctioning and condition, incipient failure of under-car electrical circuitry, missing equipment, and the presence of foreign objects under the car. The inspection system uses both visual and infrared images. Algorithms were designed and tested that integrate a priori knowledge about the structure and appearance of various passenger car types. A prototype trackside unit was designed and tested using actual images of the underside of rail vehicles currently in service at Amtrak’s Chicago Facility. These, and images obtained from other sites, were used for the design of machine vision algorithms to identify wheels, brakes, axles, and traction motors. Preliminary tests of the algorithms were conducted using the acquired images which helped refine the inspection algorithms and preliminary performance requirements. Templates and template matching algorithms to identify missing or foreign objects and incipient failures were developed. These tasks will use images of both normal and damaged or missing components. Analysis was also conducted to estimate the effects of image degradation caused by adverse weather conditions.
The final report for this IDEA project can be found at:
https://www.trb.org/studies/idea/finalreports/highspeedrail/hsr-49final_report.pdf
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