Automatic Extraction of Power Cables Location in Railways Using Surface LiDAR Systems

Area of Science:

• Engineering
• Transportation Technology
• Geospatial Analysis

Background:

• Electrified railway systems rely on contact wires for power collection, necessitating regular inspections.
• Traditional manual inspection methods for contact wire height and stagger are labor-intensive and error-prone.
• Accurate monitoring of contact wire condition is crucial for operational safety and efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel, automated system for assessing the condition of railway contact and messenger wires.
• To develop a seven-step method for identifying and measuring contact wire height and stagger using LiDAR data.
• To evaluate the system's applicability in both assembly and maintenance phases, and for post-recording analysis.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing a LiDAR system to record detailed point cloud data of railway infrastructure.
• Implementing a seven-step algorithm to process point clouds, identify contact wires, and measure their geometric parameters (height and stagger).
• Validating the new method through comparative analysis against traditional measurement techniques in controlled test bench and real-world railway environments.

Main Results:

• The developed LiDAR-based system demonstrated high accuracy, with measurement differences of less than one centimeter on average compared to conventional methods.
• Significant reduction in the time required for the measurement phase was achieved.
• The automated system proved to be less prone to human error than manual inspection.

Conclusions:

• The new LiDAR-based method offers a precise, efficient, and reliable alternative for monitoring railway contact wire status.
• This system can be effectively integrated into the assembly and maintenance workflows of electrified railways.
• The findings support the adoption of automated geospatial technologies for railway infrastructure management.