APPARATUSES, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS FOR MONITORING MOVING VEHICLES
Railcar inspection systems, methods, and apparatuses are disclosed, including a railcar inspection portal. The railcar inspection portal includes a physical structure positioned around a railroad track, and through which a railcar can travel. The railcar inspection portal can include wheel detection sensors along the railroad track for detecting the presence of a railcar passing over the sensors. The sensors can transmit signals, corresponding to railcars passing over the sensors, to computing devices for determining railcar speeds. The railcar inspection portal can include imaging devices configured to capture images and readings of railcars passing through the inspection portal. Based on a determined speed corresponding to a passing railcar, the computing devices can control the imaging devices to capture specific areas or components of the passing railcar, or individual cars thereon. The computing devices can process the captured images to detect defects corresponding to the passing railcar, or individual cars thereon.
1 . A system comprising:
a plurality of imaging devices configured to capture inspection images of a passing railcar travelling along a railway;
a calibration cart configured to travel along the railway, the calibration cart comprising a plurality of calibration targets, the plurality of calibration targets each corresponding to a spatial location of one or more target regions of the passing railcar, wherein each of the plurality of calibration targets corresponds to one or more of the plurality of imaging devices; and
one or more computing devices in communication with the one or more imaging devices, the one or more computing devices being configured to:
capture calibration images of the plurality of calibration targets with the plurality of imaging devices;
process the calibration images to determine whether any of the plurality of imaging devices is outside an acceptable calibration range; and
in response to determining that at least one of the plurality of imaging devices is outside the acceptable calibration range, output instructions to adjust calibration settings for each of the at least one of the plurality of imaging devices.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein processing the calibration images to determine whether any of the plurality of imaging devices is outside the acceptable calibration range comprises:
determining one or more determined image characteristics for each of the calibration images;
comparing the one or more determined image characteristics to one or more corresponding image characteristic threshold values; and
determining whether the one or more determined image characteristics satisfies the one or more corresponding image characteristic threshold values.
3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more determined image characteristics comprises a contrast measurement.
4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the contrast measurement comprises a standard deviation of image pixel intensities associated with each of the calibration images.
5 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more determined image characteristics comprises a phase measurement.
6 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more determined image characteristics comprises a compressibility coefficient.
7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the one or more corresponding image characteristic threshold values comprises a threshold compressibility coefficient of 70.
8 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising one or more actuation devices corresponding to one or more of the at least one of the plurality of imaging devices,
wherein:
the one or more computing devices are further configured to determine an amount of calibration adjustment required for each of the at least one of the plurality of imaging devices; and
outputting the instructions to adjust calibration settings for each of the at least one of the plurality of imaging devices comprising outputting instructions for the one or more actuation devices to adjust each corresponding imaging device according to the corresponding amount of calibration adjustment.
9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the calibration cart comprises one or more motors configured to control movement of the calibration cart;
the one or more computing devices are in communication with the calibration cart; and
the one or more computing devices are further configured to output instructions for the one or more motors to move the calibration cart along the railway to position the plurality of calibration targets at corresponding three-dimensional locations at which the plurality of imaging devices are configured capture images of the corresponding one or more target regions of the passing railcar.
10 . A method comprising:
moving a calibration cart along a railway to position a plurality of calibration targets of the calibration cart at corresponding three-dimensional locations at which a plurality of imaging devices are configured to capture inspection images of one or more corresponding target regions of a passing railcar travelling along the railway;
capturing calibration images of the plurality of calibration targets with the plurality of imaging devices;
processing the calibration images to determine whether any of the plurality of imaging devices is outside an acceptable calibration range; and
in response to determining that at least one of the plurality of imaging devices is outside the acceptable calibration range, adjusting calibration settings for each of the at least one of the plurality of imaging devices.
11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein processing the calibration images to determine whether any of the plurality of imaging devices is outside the acceptable calibration range comprises:
determining one or more determined image characteristics for each of the calibration images;
comparing the one or more determined image characteristics to one or more corresponding image characteristic threshold values; and
determining whether the one or more determined image characteristics satisfies the one or more corresponding image characteristic threshold values.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more determined image characteristics comprises a contrast measurement, a phase measurement, or a compressibility coefficient.
13 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
determining an amount of calibration adjustment required for each of the at least one of the plurality of imaging devices; and
adjusting the calibration settings for each of the at least one of the plurality of imaging devices according to the corresponding amount of calibration adjustment.
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein one or more actuation devices adjust the at least one of the plurality of imaging devices.
15 . The method of claim 10 , wherein moving the calibration cart along the railway comprises outputting instructions for one or more motors of the calibration cart to move the calibration cart along the railway.
16 . A non-transitory, computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or processors, causes a computing system to:
output instructions for a plurality of imaging devices to capture calibration images of a plurality of calibration targets of a calibration cart, the plurality of calibration targets being positioned at corresponding three-dimensional locations at which the plurality of imaging devices are configured to capture inspection images of the corresponding one or more target regions of a passing railcar;
receive the calibration images from the plurality of imaging devices;
process the calibration images to determine whether any of the plurality of imaging devices is outside an acceptable calibration range; and
in response to determining that at least one of the plurality of imaging devices is outside the acceptable calibration range, output instructions to adjust calibration settings for each of the at least one of the plurality of imaging devices.
17 . The non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein processing the calibration images to determine whether any of the plurality of imaging devices is outside the acceptable calibration range comprises:
determining one or more determined image characteristics for each of the calibration images;
comparing the one or more determined image characteristics to one or more corresponding image characteristic threshold values; and
determining whether the one or more determined image characteristics satisfies the one or more corresponding image characteristic threshold values.
18 . The non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the one or more determined image characteristics comprises a contrast measurement, a phase measurement, or a compressibility coefficient.
19 . The non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or processors, further causes the computing system to:
determine an amount of calibration adjustment required for each of the at least one of the plurality of imaging devices; and
outputting the instructions to adjust calibration settings for each of the at least one of the plurality of imaging devices comprises outputting instructions to adjust calibration settings for each of the at least one of the plurality of imaging devices according to the corresponding amount of calibration adjustment.
20 . The non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or processors, further causes the computing system to move a calibration cart along a railway to position a plurality calibration targets of the calibration cart at corresponding three-dimensional locations at which a plurality of imaging devices are configured capture images of the corresponding one or more target regions of the passing railcar.