Abstract
Mobile Mapping System (MMS) are increasingly applied for spatial data collection to support different fields because of their efficiencies and the levels of detail they can provide. The Position and Orientation System (POS), which is conventionally employed for locating and orienting MMS, allows direct georeferencing of spatial data in real-time. Since the performance of a POS depends on both the Inertial Navigation System (INS) and the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), poor GNSS conditions, such as in long tunnels and underground, introduce the necessity for post-processing. In above-ground railways, mobile mapping technology is employed with high performance sensors for finite usage, which has considerable potential for enhancing railway safety and management in real-time. In contrast, underground railways present a challenge for a conventional POS thus alternative configurations are necessary to maintain data accuracy and alleviate the need for post-processing. This paper introduces a method of rail-bound navigation to replace the role of GNSS for railway applications. The proposed method integrates INS and track alignment data for environment-independent navigation and reduces the demand of post-processing. The principle of rail-bound navigation is presented and its performance is verified by an experiment using a consumer-grade Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) and a small-scale railway model. The method produced a substantial improvement in position and orientation for a poorly initialised system in centimetre positional accuracy. The potential improvements indicated by, and limitations of rail-bound navigation are also considered for further development in existing railway systems.
Highlights
Mobile Mapping Systems (MMS) are usually employed for outdoor dynamic spatial measurements; their performance have been extensively reviewed for more than a decade (Ellum and El-Sheimy, 2002; El-Sheimy, 2005; Puente et al, 2011; Puente et al, 2013)
This paper proposes the use of rail-bound navigation to replace the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) component of the Position and Orientation Systems (POS) in the Underground Railway Laser Scanning (URLS) configuration
This paper has suggested an alternative approach, rail-bound navigation, for replacing the GNSS component in a POS in railway systems
Summary
Mobile Mapping Systems (MMS) are usually employed for outdoor dynamic spatial measurements; their performance have been extensively reviewed for more than a decade (Ellum and El-Sheimy, 2002; El-Sheimy, 2005; Puente et al, 2011; Puente et al, 2013). The majority of current commercial MMS utilise high performance Position and Orientation Systems (POS) for direct georeferencing, which has improved the efficiency of spatial data acquisition compared to those of the previous decade. The application of MMS to railways for maintenance and engineering design purposes including measurements of track, power cables, clearance profiles, tunnels and rolling stock, has been reported by several authors including Gräefe (2008) and Leslar et al (2010). Their application in underground railway environments, where the satellite positioning component is ineffective, has received little attention. This paper presents a potential solution to the positioning of an MMS in underground railways via the integration of an inertial positioning component and railway alignment data
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