Home Rail Transportation Pantograph inspection

Fast and safe: Camera-based pantograph inspection


When overhead lines and pantographs fail, this often has a significant impact on all rail traffic. At the same time, maintenance work is extremely time-consuming because work on the pantographs can only be performed when the overhead line is de-energized. Automated inspection systems using image processing offer enormous potential in this area: they enable the early detection of wear and damage to pantographs and overhead lines. This minimizes the effort required for routine manual inspections and reduces the failure rate during operation.

Pantograph on an overhead wire for inspection in rail transport

Photonfocus’s embedded vision systems can be installed directly on trains for inspecting overhead lines. Their image data provide an optimal comparison of the condition over time or along the rail lines. In addition, measurement and inspection systems equipped with high-speed image sensors can be permanently installed along sections of track or at the entrances to maintenance facilities, where they inspect passing trains. With embedded vision solutions from Photonfocus, the captured image data can be analyzed onboard. This makes them ideal for use in remote applications and mobile devices.

Recommended camera features

The following camera features are typically required for this application:

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Cameras suitable for this application

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