Standardization for intelligent detection and autonomous operation of non-structured hardware, and its application on railcar brake release operation

This thesis introduces a standard framework for evaluating and planning for desired autonomous (or semi-autonomous) operations, then applies the framework, in detail, to the task of automating emergency brake release before rail-car decoupling. A significant hurdle to be accounted for is the lack of standardization of much of the hardware of interest in industry. Non-standardized rail car components must be formally structured as fully as possible to improve the reliability of the robotic automation. This brake release task requires either pushing or pulling a “bleed rod” that protrudes from the side of each rail car. The requirements for each step of the evaluation and planning process will be laid out in this thesis, as an example of how it should be applied to future automation tasks.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science in Engineering

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Mechanical Engineering

Grantor

The University of Texas at Austin

Year dc:date.issued

2015

Author dc:creator

• Hammel, Christopher Scott

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Tesar, Delbert

Committee member dc:contributor.committeemember

• Ashok, Pradeepkumar

• Machine vision
• Computer vision
• Automation
• Robot
• Robots
• Robotics
• Automate
• Automated
• Railroad
• 3d
• Camera
• Point cloud
• Algorithm
• Design
• Standardization
• Standardized
• Data mining
• Neural network
• Real-time
• Real time
• Performance map
• Performance maps
• Mobile robot
• Mobile robotics

Language dc:language.iso

en

Identifier

doi:10.15781/T24P53

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:repositories.lib.utexas.edu:2152/31986