A laser radar device includes: a light-transmission-side lens that shapes a laser beam emitted from a laser light source into a line shape extending along a horizontal direction; a scanner that projects the line-shaped laser beam while scanning the same in a vertical direction of a measurement-target area; a light-reception-side lens that receives reflected light reflected from the measurement-target area; a light reception line sensor including a plurality of light reception cells lined up along the horizontal direction; a light-reception-side optical system that gathers the reflected light received by the light-reception-side lens toward the light reception line sensor, and in which the light-gathering ratio in the vertical direction is set so as to be greater than the light-gathering ratio in the horizontal direction; and an information generation unit that generates three-dimensional information of the measurement-target area based on a reception signal outputted by the light reception line sensor.

A laser radar device includes: a light-transmission-side lens that shapes a laser beam emitted from a laser light source into a line shape extending along a horizontal direction; a scanner that projects the line-shaped laser beam while scanning the same in a vertical direction of a measurement-target area; a light-reception-side lens that receives reflected light reflected from the measurement-target area; a light reception line sensor including a plurality of light reception cells lined up along the horizontal direction; a light-reception-side optical system that gathers the reflected light received by the light-reception-side lens toward the light reception line sensor, and in which the light-gathering ratio in the vertical direction is set so as to be greater than the light-gathering ratio in the horizontal direction; and an information generation unit that generates three-dimensional information of the measurement-target area based on a reception signal outputted by the light reception line sensor.

Many railroad crossings have humped geometrical profiles that pose great risk to motor vehicles such as cars, buses, and trucks crossing the railroad tracks. There is a need to be able to safely detect these humped profiles on the railroad crossings. As a result, there is a need to develop a drone-based grade crossing inspection system to improve the efficiency of grade crossing inspections for humped conditions and other safety-related conditions such as visual sight lines, location of gates, lights, signage, culverts, rail deformations, grade crossings, drainage pipes, and other conditions. The drone that is used must be able to navigate both in the ground as well as in the air since it is necessary to be able to drive to detect the humped conditions and the visual sight lines while it is necessary to be able to fly in the air to detect the lights, signs, and gates. In the present invention, a transformable robot has been developed that can both drive and fly in the air to detect the different safety conditions and is referred to as a hybrid UAV/UGV. The invention relates to a transformable robot capable of flying and driving for survey of humps, visual sight lines, gates, lights, grades, rail deformations, culverts, drainage pipes, or signs at railroad crossings that comprise a ground locomotion system, an air locomotion system, controls, and a sensor that is necessary to do the survey of the different safety related conditions.

A system includes one or more processors. The one or more processors are configured to receive crossing obstruction information from an optical sensor disposed proximate a crossing of a route traversed by a vehicle, with the crossing obstruction information indicating a presence of an obstruction to the crossing; obtain position information indicating a position of the vehicle traversing the route; determine proximity information of the vehicle indicating proximity of the vehicle to the crossing using the position information; determine a presence or absence of an alert state indicating a potential of the crossing being obstructed using the crossing obstruction information and the proximity information; and perform a responsive activity based responsive to a determination of the presence of the alert state.

A railroad crossing safety assembly includes a plurality of object sensors that is each positioned on a respective one of four corners of a railroad crossing. The object sensors emit a sensing signal across the railroad crossing to detect an obstruction on the railroad crossing. A data storage unit is provided and each of the object sensors is in electrical communication with the data storage unit. The data storage unit is in electrical communication with emergency responders thereby facilitating the emergency responders to be notified of the obstruction on the railroad crossing. Additionally, the data storage unit is in communication with a railway operation department thereby facilitating the railway operation department to alter railway scheduling in response to the obstruction.

A control arrangement for a railroad level crossing is disclosed. The control arrangement comprises monitoring sensors for monitoring the level crossing, the monitoring sensors arranged to detect an obstruction within a restricted area at or near to the level crossing, and a processing unit associated with the monitoring sensors and arranged to generate an alarm warning when an obstruction is detected. The alarm warning is used to adjust a Movement Authority issued to a train approaching the level crossing.

A control arrangement for a railroad level crossing is disclosed. The control arrangement comprises monitoring sensors for monitoring the level crossing, the monitoring sensors arranged to detect an obstruction within a restricted area at or near to the level crossing, and a processing unit associated with the monitoring sensors and arranged to generate an alarm warning when an obstruction is detected. The alarm warning is used to adjust a Movement Authority issued to a train approaching the level crossing.

A multichannel ground fault tester that can be connected to multiple individual circuits (or nodes isolated from each other within a circuit) at the same time. The circuits or nodes can be tested sequentially, or in any order, without manually disconnecting, moving and reconnecting the tester as is currently required when using a single-channel ground fault tester to test multiple circuits (or nodes isolated from each other within a circuit).

The present aspects refer to a method for prioritizing railway crossing flows comprising: defining residence location nodes, daily-activity location nodes and level crossing nodes within a zone of influence; generating a graph comprising the residence location nodes, daily-activity location nodes and level crossing nodes and a set of edges, wherein said edges connect the residence location nodes, daily-activity location nodes and level crossing nodes, generating a connected component containing residence location nodes, daily-activity location nodes and level crossing nodes; and obtaining a vector comprising the level crossing nodes in descending order of the value assigned to each level crossing node. The present aspects also refer to a memory storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions for implementing a method for prioritizing railway crossing flows.

An economical information transmission system for rail transport includes a transmitter having a known transmission power for communication between a track section and a rail vehicle. A receiver has at least one first adjustable receive level threshold, with which a maximum distance between the transmitter and the receiver can be defined in a particular application, within which the receiver is able to receive with respect to the transmitter. An information transmission method is also provided.