No blind spots on train roofs thanks to depth cameras

Train roof scanner

Smooth rail traffic requires rapid and thorough maintenance and inspection of trains, especially the roofs, which contain many sensitive machine parts. Zugkraft-kN and VRVis are jointly exploring a LIDAR roof scanner solution.

A laser scan reconstruction of a train roof - specifically from the connecting section between two carriages. On a white background.

Laser scan of the connecting part between two wagons.

On a black background is a reconstruction from a lasercan of a train roof.

Reconstruction detail of machine structures on the train roof.

A high and large factory hall where train cars are maintained.

Regular maintenance is a key for safe rail traffic. To ensure that no tools or similar items remain on the train roof during this process, VRVis and Zugkraft-kN are designing an automatic scanner. It supports the final visual check and provides a higher level of security.

Austria has been the number 1 rail country in the EU since 2015, with an average of more than 2,000 rail kilometers per capita and year - an important contribution to better sustainability. To ensure that rail traffic runs as smoothly as possible, regular maintenance is of great importance. In the workshop, all machine parts are checked inside and out. It can happen here that branches that have fallen onto the roof are overlooked, spare parts on the train roof are forgotten, or a maintenance flap is inadvertently not closed properly. Certain parts of the train roof are not easily inspected due to accessibility - even with mandatory visual inspections. This is a safety risk when releasing trains for operation - after all, trains are traveling at high speeds of 200km/h.

No blind spots on train roofs thanks to depth cameras

To meet this challenge, Zugkraft-kN and VRVis Zentrum für Virtual Reality and Visualization are developing an automated solution that uses depth cameras and data analysis to simplify the inspection of train roofs and thus speed up maintenance work. By using LIDAR cameras, which have a relatively large field of view of 60°-70°, it is possible not only to record wide areas of a train roof at once, but also to look under protrusions. The goal is a real-time, model-based comparison that quickly sounds the alarm if a foreign object, such as a tool or fallen branch, is overlooked on the train roof after all. As a result, accidents can be avoided and downtimes reduced, making a significant contribution to safe and smooth train operations in Austria.

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