Ceiling-Rail Tunnel Wall Imaging Without Traffic Disruption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for tunnel inspection using vehicles with photographing mechanisms disrupt traffic flow and are inconvenient, especially in high or low traffic conditions, making it difficult to acquire images promptly and efficiently.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus for tunnel wall surface configured to move on a rail mounted along the tunnel ceiling, equipped with a camera unit and control unit to photograph the tunnel wall surface while moving, allowing image acquisition without traffic restrictions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a vehicle provided with a photographing mechanism drives on the ground to photograph the tunnel wall surface, then the photographing mechanism can capture images, but the vehicle disrupts traffic flow and image acquisition takes a long time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a rail as an intermediary infrastructure mounted on the tunnel ceiling. The photographing apparatus moves along this rail instead of driving on the ground, allowing images to be captured without disrupting traffic flow. The rail serves as a mediator that separates the photographing function from the traffic flow, resolving the contradiction between image acquisition speed and traffic disruption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions the photographing apparatus from ground-level movement (horizontal dimension) to ceiling-mounted rail movement (vertical dimension). By moving the camera system to a different spatial dimension (the ceiling area), the apparatus can photograph the tunnel wall surface without occupying the road space, thus eliminating traffic disruption while maintaining image acquisition capability.
2Measurement precision
If the vehicle moves slower to secure image quality in low traffic volume conditions, then image quality improves, but traffic flow is hindered
Solution Approach 1:
The rail system acts as an intermediary that allows the photographing apparatus to operate independently from traffic conditions. Since the apparatus moves on the ceiling rail rather than sharing the road with other vehicles, it can maintain optimal photographing speed and image quality without being constrained by traffic flow, thus resolving the contradiction between image quality and traffic flow efficiency.
3Measurement precision
If road control is performed to acquire images, then the tunnel can be inspected, but the tunnel cannot be used during photographing which causes inconvenience to road users
Solution Approach 1:
The ceiling-mounted rail system serves as an intermediary that enables inspection operations without blocking the tunnel passage. By relocating the photographing apparatus to the ceiling area, the tunnel remains fully accessible to vehicles during inspection, thus maintaining tunnel usability while achieving accurate wall surface imaging.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent moves the inspection apparatus from the ground level (occupying the tunnel passage) to the ceiling level (non-obstructive dimension). This dimensional transition allows the tunnel to remain open for normal traffic operations during inspection, resolving the contradiction between inspection accuracy and tunnel usability.
Data Source
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AI summary
Proposed is an apparatus for photographing a tunnel wall surface. The apparatus includes a rail mounted on a ceiling of a tunnel in a longitudinal direction of the tunnel, a moving block connected to the rail and moved along the rail according to driving of a motor including an encoder, a connection mount connected to a lower portion of the moving block, a camera mount fixed to the connection mount, the camera mount having a front surface facing a first end of the rail, a rear surface facing a second end of the rail, and an outer circumferential surface parallel to the rail, a camera unit including a plurality of lateral cameras which is provided on the outer circumferential surface with intervals and which is configured to photograph the tunnel wall surface, and a control unit mounted inside the camera mount and configured to control the driving of the motor.