Autonomous rail inspection system

Abstract

Autonomous rail inspection system summary An autonomous railroad track inspection system (100). The system (100) of the present invention is It runs along the track and checks for irregularities, obstructions, cracks, stone density, deviations, bank angles, and intrusions. The system (100) is an unmanned robotic vehicle that can be inspected. A sensor configured on a chassis (10), at least two linear actuators (22), At least two wheels (20), at least four vertical linear actuators (28), a microphone Powers the microcontroller, communication means, microcontroller and sensor assembly The system (100) senses the approach of a train on the track (50) and ) so that the train can stop and pass over the system (100). There's no need to pass. Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a railway inspection system, and more particularly to an autonomous railway inspection system. This relates to inspection systems, particularly for railway tracks. [Background technology]

[0002] Today, the Indian railway network has a total length of 63,974 km (39,752 mi) and a total length of 113,617 km (70,598 mi). It has the fourth largest railway network in the world, surpassing the United States, Russia, and China, with a total length of 1,000 miles and 7,083 stations. There are. The quality of the tracks plays a vital role in ensuring the smooth functioning of a vast railway network. The quality of this track depends on the quality of the track itself and its maintenance. Railway companies manually inspect the tracks every day and repair any problems that may exist. Engineers and workers are on-site to check the work. Railway operations are suspended when the tracks are inspected, causing disruptions to train services. Furthermore, manual inspections are unable to detect defects such as cracks inside the tracks. This could result in a major accident or breakdown, as the driver will not be able to find the problem. In order to overcome the flaws in manual inspections, devices for monitoring tracks have been invented. Ta. One of them is US Patent No. 10029708. The system includes a scout vehicle (a vehicle for scouting) and a processing unit. a motor mechanically coupled to at least one of the wheels; A control unit, a set of electromagnetic sensors for the track, a positioning receiver, a local speed detector, and a transceiver. The speed controller is attached to the motor and runs behind the Scout vehicle. The processor controls the speed to maintain an appropriate distance between the train and the vehicle. configured to transmit track condition information via . The track inspection system in the above US patent detects defects in the track by a person traveling on the same track. It sends a signal to the train driver or engineer, who then stops the train to avoid an accident. However, when a train is running on the same track where the track inspection system is installed, If the track is normal, the device must be removed from the track. A major drawback of this prior art device is that it requires the normal operation of the vehicle to be stopped. Therefore, it cannot be said to be useful. Therefore, there is a need to provide an autonomous rail track inspection system that overcomes the above-mentioned drawbacks. . Summary of the Invention

[0003] Object of the invention: An object of the present invention is to eliminate the need for manual fault detection for track maintenance. Another object of the present invention is to avoid stopping trains while inspecting the track. It also means a significant reduction in inspection costs for maintenance. Additionally, data on the locations of frequently faulted lines and the types of faults will be collected. Summary of the Invention The present invention provides an autonomous track inspection system (100) for inspecting railroad tracks (50) and the like. This autonomous rail inspection system (100) has a front side (A), a rear side (B), a first side (C), and a a chassis (10) having a first side (C) and a second side (D); Equipped with a sensor. The sensor unit has at least one image sensor located in the center of the front part (A) and the rear part (B) of the chassis (10). The image capture unit (14), as well as both the front (A) and rear (B) parts of the chassis (10) At least two depth sensors (16) arranged on the side, and a horizontal linear actuator (2 2) and a vibration sensor operably coupled to the vertical linear actuator (28), and a track and foldable cameras (18) installed on both sides of the wheels for inspecting the outside of the vehicle. The system further includes at least one horizontal A linear actuator (22) and a vehicle attached to each horizontal linear actuator (20) The wheel section (20) is retracted via a horizontal linear actuator (22). The rail is retractable and extendable and is configured to seat on the track when in the extended position. are. This system further includes a lift mechanism for lifting and lowering the chassis (10) installed below the chassis (10). At least four vertical linear actuators (28) for the a microcontroller for controlling the sensor assembly; and a power supply for providing power to the sensor assembly. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0004] Brief description of the diagram The objects and advantages of the present invention will be better understood from reading this disclosure in conjunction with the following figures: can. [Figure 1] 1 is an isometric view of an autonomous rail inspection system of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of the autonomous track inspection system of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an autonomous rail inspection system at maximum height. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a side view of the autonomous rail inspection system, shown here at its maximum height and fully extended arm position when installed on the rail. [Figure 5] 1 is a flowchart showing the operation of the autonomous railway inspection system of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The problems and drawbacks associated with the prior art, techniques and approaches are presented in the preferred embodiment of the present invention. This is overcome in the following manner. As used in this specification and the appended claims, even in the singular, It includes plural unless the context clearly precludes it. So, for example, "sensor" In some cases, this includes a combination of two or more sensors. 1 to 5, an autonomous track inspection system (100) according to the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "system (100) The system (100) of the present invention runs on a railroad track and It can inspect irregularities, obstructions, cracks, stone density, deviations, track banking angles, encroachments, etc. The track (50) in this case refers to a railway track (50). However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the system of the present invention can be used to monitor railroad tracks such as cable cars, subways, etc. It will be clear to use. The system (100) includes a chassis (10), a sensor assembly mounted on the chassis (10), Bridge, at least two linear actuators (22), at least two wheel assemblies (20), at least four vertical linear actuators (28), a microcontroller (3 4), communication means, microcontroller (34), for powering the sensor assembly The power supply (32) is provided. FIG. 1 shows a chassis 10. The chassis 10 is constructed in a rectangular or hexagonal shape. It also has a front side (A), a rear side (B), a first side (C), and a second side (D). The chassis (10) is covered by a cover (12) to form a cabin-like structure. This chassis (10) has at least one head provided on the front side (A) and the rear side (B). In one embodiment, the chassis 10 includes a self-lighting device (12a) for inspection. It is designed to be able to support the load of a retract system and other electronic equipment. In some embodiments, the chassis 10 is made of aluminum or steel. The assembly is mounted on a chassis (10). The sensor assembly includes at least one image capture unit (14) and a chassis (10) is installed in the center of the front part (A) and the rear part (B). ) can operate in both directions, forward and reverse. In one embodiment, the image capture unit (14) is a camera. At least two depth sensors (16 The images acquired by the camera (14) and the depth sensor (16) are used in combination. This allows for highly accurate images to be sent to the microcontroller (34). The sensor (16) complements the camera (14). The sensor assembly includes an image capture unit (18), such as a camera, and The camera is mounted on both wheels (20) to inspect the sides. The retraction is for both horizontal and vertical linear actuator strokes. This allows the robot to move along the track (50) while the train passes over it. In one embodiment, the folding camera (18) can be hidden between the It is also possible to use two rotary actuators (26) attached to the wheel section (20). be. Each of the two horizontal linear actuators (22) is mounted on a first side of the chassis (10). Specifically, the wheel section (20) is installed in each horizontal linear axis. The wheel section (20) is attached to the horizontal linear actuator (22). In one embodiment, the linear actuator (22) (22) is operated by an electromechanical switch (22a). The controller (34) sends a signal to the switch (22a) of each linear actuator (22) to These electrically operated mechanical switches are the main It is part of the PCB. In one embodiment, each wheel assembly (20) has two wheels (24) and two rotary actuators. The actuator (26) is driven by the actuator (26). At this time, the actuator (26) rotates in two directions. This allows the system (100) to inspect the track (50) in both the reverse and forward directions. It also controls the speed and direction of the robot on the track (50). The actuators (34) are connected to individual electrically operated mechanical switches of each rotary actuator (26). These switches actuate the rotary actuator (26) by providing a forward or reverse signal. These electrically actuated mechanical switches are part of the main PCB. The wheel part (20) has a flange on the inside, which stabilizes the wheel on the track (50) like a railway wheel. Specifically, the wheel section (20) is extended by the horizontal linear actuator (22). It is configured to be placed on the track (50) when In one embodiment, the horizontal linear actuator (22) moves the system (100) down from the track (50). Specifically, the system (100) is equipped with a self-retracting device for lifting the rail at the center of the rail. It is hidden below the height of the rail so that trains can pass over it. Four vertical linear actuators (28) are mounted below the chassis (10) to adjust the The chassis (10) is raised and lowered. In one embodiment, the system (100) is mounted on a chassis (10) and includes a horizontal linear actuator. The actuator (22) and the four vertical linear actuators (28) are equipped with vibration sensors (see illustration). The vibration sensor detects the vibration of the rail track (50) that occurs when a train passes through. When a train passes on the same track where the system (100) is located, the vibration sensor The robot operates the vertical linear actuator (28) to position the wheel assembly (20) on the track (50). The entire chassis (10) is then lifted up, and the horizontal linear actuator (22) retracts to lift the wheel section. (20) is centered in the chassis. The vertical linear actuator (28) The entire chassis (10) is lowered again to allow the train to pass over the system (100). The vertical linear actuator (28) lifts the system (100) and the wheel assembly (20) The wheels are pushed out from the center of the chassis (10) and placed on the tracks. The communication means is mounted on the chassis (10). In one embodiment, the communication means is mounted on the chassis (10). (10) at least one foldable antenna (30) configured on the This allows seamless communication using a mobile phone or similar means of communication. This communication method transfers data collected from sensors and cameras to computers on a cloud server. This computer processes the data and sends it to the , and gives results on the type of fault and its magnitude. The microcontroller (34) is connected to a battery (32) to power other electronic devices. This battery powers the sensor assembly, microcontroller, and The power supply supplies power to the laser (34), the sensor assembly, the system (100), etc. FIG. 5 is a flow chart of the operation of the autonomous rail inspection system (100) according to the present invention. The system (100) is supported by a vertical linear actuator (28) located on the sleeper (52). It is located between the railroad tracks (50). The system (100) then operates by means of a vertical linear actuator (28) on the sleeper (52). and is praised. The system (100) then uses a horizontal linear actuator (22) to move the wheel assembly (20) along the track (50). It is supported by a vertical linear actuator (28) with its feet on the sleepers (52). can be. After that, the communication antenna (30) and the external camera (18) are deployed. ) is supported by a vertical linear actuator (28) on sleepers (52). The system (100) is positioned on the sleeper (52) by a vertical linear actuator (28) As the wheel section (20) is extended by the horizontal linear actuator (22), The system (100) is now ready to move on the track (16). Be in order. Similarly, the system (100) senses the approach of a train on the track (50) and It can move back to the center of the train, so it can move the system (10 0) can pass over it. The system (100) of the present invention can perform the following operations: 1. Detecting cracks in the railroad tracks (50). 2. Detect twists, imbalances, and unevenness in the track (50). 3. Detecting foreign objects on or off the track (50) that may have an impact. 4. Missing parts of the track (50), such as rail joint plates, joint plate bolts, and rail mounting clips Detect. 5. Detect the position of the rail mounting clip. 6. Detect abnormalities at railroad crossings. 7. Detect stagnant water near the tracks. 8. Detect the status of height gauges near railroad crossings. 9. Immediately report any unsafe track conditions to authorities. 10. Issue an alarm and, depending on the situation, stop the train or slow down the train to allow it to continue moving. Allow. 11. It is also possible to detect the health of railway power lines. The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. It is intended that many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. It will be understood that this embodiment best illustrates the principles of the present invention and its practical application. The description is well-written, so that one skilled in the art can make various modifications to suit the particular use contemplated. The invention and its various embodiments have been chosen and described in order to best utilize them. Various omissions and substitutions are possible, but such omissions and substitutions are not intended to be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. Covers any application or practice of the invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the claims. Please understand that this is intended to be

Claims

1. An autonomous railroad track inspection system (100) for inspecting railroad tracks (50) and the like, comprising: It consists of: A chassis (10) having a front side (A), a rear side (B), a first side (C) and a second side (D). A sensor assembly configured on a chassis (10) At least one horizontal linear element configured within the first and second sides of the chassis (10). Actuators (22) The horizontal linear actuator (20) is attached to a wheel (20). It is retractable and extendable via the actuator (22) and sits on the track when in the extended position. It is configured as follows. At least four slats are provided below the chassis (10) to raise and lower the chassis (10). Vertical Linear Actuators (28) On-chassis communication means A microcontroller (34) to control the sensor assembly A power supply (32) for powering the microcontroller and sensor assembly.

2. A system (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises: At least one camera is provided at the center of the front and rear parts (A, B) of the chassis (10). Shadow device (14) At least two depth sensors (1 each) configured on both the front (A) and rear (B) sides of the chassis. 6） Vibration sensors installed on the horizontal linear actuator (22) and the vertical linear actuator (28) sa Foldable imaging devices (18) arranged on both sides of the wheel well for inspecting the outside of the track 。

3. The system (100) of claim 1, wherein the horizontal and vertical linear actuators (22, 28) are electrically It is operated by an air-activated mechanical switch.

4. The system (100) of claim 1, wherein the chassis (10) has at least one front and rear Includes two headlights.

5. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein each wheel section (20) is powered by a rotary actuator (26). It consists of two wheels (24) with

6. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication means comprises at least one Both are foldable antennas (30) that enable seamless communication.

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