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Rail Detection Based on LSD and the Least Square Curve Fitting

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Abstract

It is necessary to rely on the rail gauge to determine whether the object beside the track will affect train operation safety or not. A convenient and fast method based on line segment detector (LSD) and the least square curve fitting to identify the rail in the image is proposed in this paper. The image in front of the train can be obtained through the camera on-board. After preprocessing, it will be divided equally along the longitudinal axis. Utilizing the characteristics of the LSD algorithm, the edges are approximated into multiple line segments. After screening the terminals of the line segments, it can generate the mathematical model of the rail in the image based on the least square. Experiments show that the algorithm in this paper can fit the rail curve accurately and has good applicability and robustness.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 61 763 023).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Automation and Electrical Engineering, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou, 730070, China

    Yun-Shui Zheng, Yan-Wei Jin & Yu Dong

  2. Automation Research Institute, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou, 730070, China

    Yun-Shui Zheng

Authors
  1. Yun-Shui Zheng
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  2. Yan-Wei Jin
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  3. Yu Dong
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Additional information

Yun-Shui Zheng received the B. Sc. and M. Sc. degrees in traffic information engineering & control from Lanzhou Jiaotong University, China in 1994 and 2008, respectively. In 2008, he was a faculty member at Lanzhou Jiaotong University. Currently, he is a professor of Automatic Control Department, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, and a researcher of Automation Research Institute, Lanzhou Jiaotong University. He has won a first prize and two third prizes in the national multimedia software competition. He participated in the compilation of one textbook and published many papers. Now, he is in charge of a science and technology support project of Gansu Provincial Science and Technology.

His research interests include the application of modern traffic information technology, the research of new generation centralized control system, the reliability research of high-speed railway signal equipment, the research and application of multimedia and virtual reality technology.

Yan-Wei Jin received the B. Sc. degree in traffic information engineering & control from Lanzhou Jiaotong University, China in 2018. Currently, he is a master student in traffic information engineering & control of Lanzhou Jiaotong University.

His research interests include railway safety, sensor application and image processing.

Yu Dong received the B. Sc. degree in traffic signal & control from Lanzhou Jiaotong University, China in 1985. In 1985, he was a faculty member at Lanzhou Jiaotong University. Currently, he is a professor of Automatic Control Department, Lanzhou Jiaotong University. He participated in the research project and won a second prize, a third prize and one second prize of teaching achievements in Gansu Province. He edited two textbooks, participated in writing two textbooks, published more than twenty academic papers. He presided over a scientific and technological research project of Gansu Province, and now undertakes a project of National Nature Science Foundation of China (NSFC).

His research interest is rail transit transportation automation.

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Zheng, YS., Jin, YW. & Dong, Y. Rail Detection Based on LSD and the Least Square Curve Fitting. Int. J. Autom. Comput. 18, 85–95 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11633-020-1241-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11633-020-1241-4

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