Abstract
Researchers at the University of Central Florida and the University of South Carolina have developed a fully autonomous drone-based track inspection system for railroad tracks. The system does not rely on GPS but uses optical images taken from the drone to identify the railroad track and navigate the drone along the track and perform inspection tasks. The onboard drone camera takes the track images, which are then processed to provide both navigation information for autonomous drone flight control and to evaluate component health.
Benefit
Saves personnel time and costDoes not rely on a pilot's skill and experience, GPS or other extra navigation systemsMarket Application
Federal Railroad AdministrationEnscoRailroads
Brochure
