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:
one or more imaging devices configured to capture images of a passing railcar;
one or more computing devices in communication with the one or more imaging devices, the one or more computing devices being configured to:
receive one or more images from the one or more imaging devices, the one or more images illustrating at least a region of the passing railcar;
execute one or more computer vision algorithms on the one or more images to identify one or more identifying features of the passing railcar; and
determine a railcar identity of the passing railcar based at least in part on the one or more identifying features of the passing railcar.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the one or more identifying features comprises text; and
executing the one or more computer vision algorithms comprises executing an optical character recognition (OCR) algorithm to identify the text.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein one or more identifying features comprises graffiti and/or illustrations.
4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more computing devices are further configured to convert the one or more images into a particular format.
5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein converting the one or more images into the particular format comprises compressing the one or more images.
6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the one or more computing devices are further configured to receive scanner data from an emitter of the passing railcar via one or more signal scanning devices, the scanner data comprising a received railcar identifier associated with the passing railcar; and
determining the railcar identity of the passing railcar further comprises:
comparing the received railcar identifier with a plurality of stored railcar identifiers; and
identifying a stored railcar identifier of the plurality of stored railcar identifiers that matches the received railcar identifier.
7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the one or more computing devices are further configured to:
determine that at least one of the one or more identifying features is not associated with the passing railcar; and
store an indication of the at least one of the one or more identifying features in association with the passing railcar in a memory device accessible by the one or more computing devices.
8 . A method comprising:
capturing one or more images of a passing railcar, the one or more images illustrating at least a region of the passing railcar;
executing one or more computer vision algorithms on the one or more images to identify one or more identifying features of the passing railcar; and
determining a railcar identity of the passing railcar based at least in part on the one or more identifying features of the passing railcar.
9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein:
the one or more identifying features comprises text; and
executing the one or more computer vision algorithms comprises executing an optical character recognition (OCR) algorithm to identify the text.
10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein one or more identifying features comprises graffiti and/or illustrations.
11 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising converting the one or more images into a particular format.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein converting the one or more images into the particular format comprises compressing the one or more images.
13 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising receiving scanner data from an emitter of the passing railcar, the scanner data comprising a received railcar identifier associated with the passing railcar,
wherein determining the railcar identity of the passing railcar further comprises:
comparing the received railcar identifier with a plurality of stored railcar identifiers; and
identifying a stored railcar identifier of the plurality of stored railcar identifiers that matches the received railcar identifier.
14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
determining that at least one of the one or more identifying features is not associated with the passing railcar; and
storing an indication of the at least one of the one or more identifying features in association with the passing railcar.
15 . A non-transitory, computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or processors, causes a computing system to:
receive one or more images from one or more imaging devices configured to capture images of a passing railcar, the one or more images illustrating at least a region of the passing railcar;
execute one or more computer vision algorithms on the one or more images to identify one or more identifying features of the passing railcar; and
determine a railcar identity of the passing railcar based at least in part on the one or more identifying features of the passing railcar.
16 . The non-transitory, computer readable medium claim 15 , wherein:
the one or more identifying features comprises text; and
executing the one or more computer vision algorithms comprises executing an optical character recognition (OCR) algorithm to identify the text.
17 . The non-transitory, computer readable medium claim 15 , wherein one or more identifying features comprises graffiti and/or illustrations.
18 . The non-transitory, computer readable medium claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed by one or processors, further causes the computing system to convert the one or more images into a particular format.
19 . The system of claim 18 , wherein converting the one or more images into the particular format comprises compressing the one or more images.
20 . The non-transitory, computer readable medium claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed by one or processors, further causes the computing system to receive scanner data from an emitter of the passing railcar, the scanner data comprising a received railcar identifier associated with the passing railcar; and
determining the railcar identity of the passing railcar further comprises:
comparing the received railcar identifier with a plurality of stored railcar identifiers; and
identifying a stored railcar identifier of the plurality of stored railcar identifiers that matches the received railcar identifier.
21 . The non-transitory, computer readable medium claim 20 , wherein the instructions, when executed by one or processors, further causes the computing system to:
determine that at least one of the one or more identifying features is not associated with the passing railcar; and
store an indication of the at least one of the one or more identifying features in association with the passing railcar in a memory device accessible by the one or more computing devices.