Drones used in the railway industry have evolved into a piece of equipment that is essential to ensure the reliability of railroad inspection equipment. They are used to observe major railway infrastructures, including high-voltage electrical lines and railway catenary lines as well as switching points and tracks.
With the help of drone technology the vast drone images are captured, which helps to enhance the process of track inspection, repair & maintenance, and other dangers, rapidly. The more frequently the inspections are the greater security of the railway, as well as reliability and performance that is scheduled.
Image Source: Google
As technology advances drones are now using the following methods to collect specific information from railways and other infrastructures:
Data Acquisition: This initial step of acquiring aerial photographs is considered to be among the most critical jobs for computer vision software. A high-quality drone image of rail infrastructures is a crucial component of sustaining an efficient railway track system for inspection.
Because of this Equinox's Drones use well-established drones such as those of DJI Phantom 4 PRO for surveys using drones in railway industries. Its DJI Phantom 4 PRO is equipped with a 4K camera and can capture videos in FHD as well as HD as well as be proficient in providing HD 1280X720 and 24/25/30p at 30mbps recording models.
Edge and Track Detection: Prior to the railway tracks being identified from the edges of the tracks during "edge detection," small connected pixels are removed using the help of various programs.
Utilizing software such as Pix4D or 3DF Zephyr or Reality Capture, a defined edge of the track is identified to reduce the chance of other elements that are not railway tracks being detected. This process is referred to in the field of track detection.
