A system for detection and identification of objects and obstacles near, between or on railway comprise several forward-looking imagers adapted to cover each different range forward and preferably to be sensitive each to different wavelength of radiation, including visible light, LWIR, and SWIR. The substantially homogeneous temperature along the rail the image of which is included in an imager frame assists in identifying and distinguishing the rail from the background. Image processing is applied to define living creature in the image frame and to distinguish from a man-made object based on temperature of the body. Electro optic sensors (e.g. thermal infrared imaging sensor and visible band imaging sensor) are used to survey and monitor railway scenes in real time.

A warning system for detecting approaching object and method thereof are provided. A detection unit detects a moving path of the approaching object; a storage unit stores a warning information including the warning area and the confirmation condition; and a processing unit receives the detection signal provided by the detection unit to acquire the current moving path of the approaching object. When the approaching object is detected as moving in the buffering zone, the confirmation operation of the confirmation condition is activated. When the moving path falls in the warning area and fulfills the confirmation condition, the processing unit sends out a warning signal. Therefore, a potentially dangerous approaching object is accurately identified, and the warning is correctly sent.

A method for software update of software embedded in an electronic device having a nominal operating mode making it possible to exchange messages with a remote server according to a long-range low-speed communication protocol, where the messages contain information generated by the embedded software. The method is computer-implemented and comprises at least steps consisting in: receiving, via the long-range low-speed communication protocol, a message for activating a short-range high-speed communication protocol; activating the short-range high-speed communication protocol; halting the nominal operating mode; and updating the embedded software with a software update received via the short-range high-speed communication protocol.

A ballastless track roadbed damage forewarning method considering uncertainty includes the following steps. Step 1: counting roadbed material parameters and precipitation; Step 2: establishing a FLAC-PFC model of a ballastless track roadbed and calibrating mesoscopic parameters of a roadbed surface layer; Step 3: generating a lognormal random field of particle contact friction coefficients and assigning it to particle contact nodes of the roadbed surface layer; Step 4: perform sampling on the precipitation and adjusting a fluid domain of the roadbed surface layer; Step 5: determining a worst spatial correlation distance in the random field; and Step 6: calculating a damage probability pf of the roadbed surface layer under the worst spatial correlation distance; outputting alarm information when pf exceeds an alarm threshold, otherwise, quitting. The method monitors and gives early warning of damage to the roadbed surface layer under dynamic loads, ensuring driving safety.

A ballastless track roadbed damage forewarning method considering uncertainty includes the following steps. Step 1: counting roadbed material parameters and precipitation; Step 2: establishing a FLAC-PFC model of a ballastless track roadbed and calibrating mesoscopic parameters of a roadbed surface layer; Step 3: generating a lognormal random field of particle contact friction coefficients and assigning it to particle contact nodes of the roadbed surface layer; Step 4: perform sampling on the precipitation and adjusting a fluid domain of the roadbed surface layer; Step 5: determining a worst spatial correlation distance in the random field; and Step 6: calculating a damage probability pf of the roadbed surface layer under the worst spatial correlation distance; outputting alarm information when pf exceeds an alarm threshold, otherwise, quitting. The method monitors and gives early warning of damage to the roadbed surface layer under dynamic loads, ensuring driving safety.

A ballastless track roadbed damage forewarning method considering uncertainty includes the following steps. Step 1: counting roadbed material parameters and precipitation; Step 2: establishing a FLAC-PFC model of a ballastless track roadbed and calibrating mesoscopic parameters of a roadbed surface layer; Step 3: generating a lognormal random field of particle contact friction coefficients and assigning it to particle contact nodes of the roadbed surface layer; Step 4: perform sampling on the precipitation and adjusting a fluid domain of the roadbed surface layer; Step 5: determining a worst spatial correlation distance in the random field; and Step 6: calculating a damage probability pf of the roadbed surface layer under the worst spatial correlation distance; outputting alarm information when pf exceeds an alarm threshold, otherwise, quitting. The method monitors and gives early warning of damage to the roadbed surface layer under dynamic loads, ensuring driving safety.

A ballastless track roadbed damage forewarning method considering uncertainty includes the following steps. Step 1: counting roadbed material parameters and precipitation; Step 2: establishing a FLAC-PFC model of a ballastless track roadbed and calibrating mesoscopic parameters of a roadbed surface layer; Step 3: generating a lognormal random field of particle contact friction coefficients and assigning it to particle contact nodes of the roadbed surface layer; Step 4: perform sampling on the precipitation and adjusting a fluid domain of the roadbed surface layer; Step 5: determining a worst spatial correlation distance in the random field; and Step 6: calculating a damage probability pf of the roadbed surface layer under the worst spatial correlation distance; outputting alarm information when pf exceeds an alarm threshold, otherwise, quitting. The method monitors and gives early warning of damage to the roadbed surface layer under dynamic loads, ensuring driving safety.

A deployable measurement system for analyzing a rail of a railroad track includes a housing, a reflecting assembly coupled to the housing, a movement assembly coupled to the housing, and an optical measurement system disposed within the housing. Both the housing and the reflecting assembly are moveable between a stored position and a deployed position. The movement assembly includes a deployment assembly that moves the reflecting assembly from the stored position to the deployed position, and a retraction assembly that moves the reflecting assembly from the deployed position to the stored position. The optical measurement system emits and receives light. The reflecting assembly reflects the emitted light toward the rail. The reflecting assembly reflects light reflected off of the rail toward the optical measurement system. The light received by the optical measurement system is used to measure parameters related to the rail.

In various embodiments, techniques are provided for determining a connection between a rail turnout and another rail turnout or other rail element by a geometry connection process of rail network design software, by reducing the actual complex geometry of the rail turnout to a simplified arc, which at one end is tangent to the geometry of a connecting element at end of the rail turnout and at the other end is tangent to the geometry of a parent base element of the rail turnout. The simplified arc is utilized instead of the actual complex geometry of the rail turnout by a connection computation engine to determine the connection in the model (e.g., by fitting a connection solution using least squares).

A system and method for minimizing safety hazards along a railroad track by optimizing visual railroad inspection frequency based on acquired data relating to railroad safety maintenance. The system and method can provide various rating systems for the railroad assets to optimize railroad inspections by focusing the inspections to railroad assets experiencing suboptimal conditions. The ratings of the railroad assets are based on various data collected from physical factors impacting the life of the railroad assets, such as an amount of rainfall, locomotive weight and frequency of passing, and manually detected defects. The system and method can focus the railroad inspection efforts to the railroad assets requiring increased attention in response to the suboptimal conditions. The focused inspections can result in longer lifespan of the railroad assets, efficient inspections, and safer railroads.