ISSN 2321 3361 © 2020 IJESC

Research Article Volume 10 Issue No.5

Railways Track Crack Detection System using Arduino

Gokul Ramamoorthy1, Tushar Kartikeyan2, Ganesh Yenugudhati3
Department of CSE
SRM IST, Chennai, India

Abstract:
In India, rail is one of the most frequently used means of transport, the fourth largest railway congregation in the world. Although the
Indian railways are undergoing an exceptional boom, some of the main problems, such as the problem at the gate crossing, the fire
disasters and the problem on the road that remains unattended and causes derailment, remain afflicted. Due to changes in the season
the slopes contract and extend. Because of that, cracks on the track can develop. This proposed system detects the cracks and
obstacles on the track via sensors and uses a GSM and GPS module to alert the control room via an SMS.

Keywords: Arduino, Ultrasonic sensor, IR sensor, GSM module, GPS module, DC motor, L293D motor driver.

1. INTRODUCTION not accurate. Many of these techniques require a lot of

processing power and an extremely long period of time, making
In today's world, transport, which is one of people's biggest the robot's speed slow and therefore uncomfortable.
consumers, is of utmost importance for its sustainability and
safety. Rail transport occupies a leading position in India in
reducing a fast-growing economy's growing needs. Nonetheless,
if we find the criteria of reliability and health, India has still not
achieved the global standard. The main problem is that there is
no reliable and affordable equipment to diagnose train track
issues and the lack of proper maintenance. The proper
functioning and maintenance of transport infrastructure,
however, has a significant impact on the economy. This model
speaks of a proposed test train design for detecting obstacles and
cracks, similar to the line following the test train. The proposed
test train is convenient, and shorter analytical time. With this
proposed system it is easy to identify the exact position of the
faulty train track, so that many lives can be saved.

2. OBJECTIVE
The main objective is to locate the gaps in the railroad tracks Figure.3.1. Manual crack detection by human
and to determine if there are any hazards in the tracks to
avoid and dissuade accidents. This type of model provides a 4. PROPOSED SYSTEM
cost-effective solution to the railroad crack detection problem by
using a ultrasonic sensor and a IR sensor joint that responds to The proposed system surpassed the existing system limitations
the exact situation of the faulty track, as well as forwarding the used to identify defective railroad tracks. We use Arduino UNO
information to the control room via SMS, so that any incidents board in this proposed system. Arduino is an integrated open
can be gridlocked. source development environment, which simplifies coding
considerably. The system proposed is consisting of an ultrasonic
3. EXISTING SYSTEM sensor designed to detect cracks and IR sensors used to detect
obstacles. The motor controller L293D helps to power the DC
In the existing system, techniques such as visual inspection, motors. The Arduino controller is primarily used for controlling
video transmission, and Magnetic field methods can identify the the sensor outputs and is used for the transmission of
cracks on the railway tracks. Physical checking is one of the information through GSM module, the purpose of which is to
earliest method in which all the necessary components will be send the signal to the base station whenever a crack or obstacle
scanned manually. This process is commonly used in India, is detected via an SMS. Using the GPS module, the exact
despite generating the worst outcome. A camera is used for latitude and longitudinal direction of the faulty track is obtained.
continuous monitoring of the track while streaming content. In In this device subtle cracks that are not visible to the naked eye
this procedure small cracks and a high-cost system cannot be can also be observed. The proposed system is therefore
seen. The current passes through the railway track for detection productive and minable.
of flaws in the eddy current method and the results produced are

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5. PROBLEM STATEMENT a USB interface, an ICSP connector, a power jack and a reset
switch.
A broken train speaks about one of the world's major causes of
more expensive and dangerous rail accidents. Taking into
account incidents in general, all considered in us alone, for every
three days there is more than one major demolition, consistently
over 10 years. Accessible interventions when the broken track
clashes in different countries are disrupted do not sufficiently
help to understand the political, social and ecological effects. In
the current framework, when the track is open, the framework is
forced to hurry up and out along the track at irregular intervals.
Often, it will send an exception flag to the technician using a
remote module just in case something stands out divided on the
line. Divisions are detected by IR sensors and the error flag is Figure.6.2.1. Arduino Uno
conveyed.
Attaching it to the laptop via an Usb connection or attaching an
ACDC power source can able to provide the power that is
needed to run the card.

6.3. GSM Module

The figure shown below is the module GSM SIM 900 (Global
mobile communication system). A GSM module is a designated
device with a serial link, USB, Bluetooth or a mobile phone
which offers support for GSM modems. A GSM module allows
programs like SMS to transmit and receive messages over the
modem interface.

Figure.5.1. Railway Track Crack

6. SYSTEM DESIGN

6.1. Ultrasonic Sensor

The ultrasonic sensor is an electronic device that detects a
specific object's distance by generating ultrasound sound waves
and transforms the sound transmitted into an electrical signal
waves. Ultrasonic waves can travel quicker than electrical signal Figure.6.3.1. GSM Module
(i.e., sound which could be listened by humans).
The costs for receiving and sending this message is the same as
the the directly incurred on a mobile phone. A GSM modem
must be consistent with a "expanded set of AT instructions" for
sending / receiving Text messages to do so.

6.4. GPS Module

The Global Positioning System is denoted as GPS, It is a
satellite communication system used to identify a path of an
object on the earth.

Figure.6.1.1. Ultrasonic Sensor

The ultrasonic sensor HC SR04 has a module of 4 pins whose

pin names are Vcc, trigger, ground and echo.

6.2. Arduino UNO

Arduino is an easier-to-use, programmable circuit with open
source hardware and software. It is very strong in nature, and
can effectively support devices. This concentrates on the
ATmega328. It has 14 digital I / O connectors, 6 analog outputs, Figure.6.4.1. GPS Module

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A GPS receiver measures its location precisely by transmitting controller shown here is the L293D IC.
123234the signals sent by GPS satellites well above
Earth. The position is then shown on a latitude and longitude
view or map view.

6.5. IR Sensor
The infrared obstacle sensor module is equipped with an
integrated IR transmitter and IR receiver which sends IR energy
and checks for reflected IR energy to identify any obstacles in
front of the machine.

Figure.6.7.1. Motor Driver Module

The L293D is a motor controller with 16 pin IC. This motor

controller is engineered to supply the bidirectional drive current
between 5 V and 36 V at voltages.

6.8. Wheel
Wheel selection is an important aspect, because the torque and
speed of the motor may vary depending on the size of the wheel.
The designated motor measurements are 68 mm in diameter, and
200 g in weight. The wheel base component is in alloy steel, and
the outer part (handle) is in rubber. The outward use of rubber
Figure. 6.5.1. IR Sensor Module improves momentum with the guide.

The sensor has an integrated potentiometer that allows the user 7. METHODOLOGY
to change the range of detections. The sensor does have a very
stable and secure response even under low light conditions. The mechanism shown here is the detection by sensors of a
faulty rail track and the transmission of the report via an SMS to
6.6.DC Motor the nearest control tower if a faulty track is identified. We use
A DC motor is the device which is used to convert Electrical two sources in this module, which is the IR-sensor and the
power to a mechanical power. The DC motor speed can be ultrasonic sensor. The ultrasonic sensor induces ultrasonic
regulated by a dynamic supply voltage, or by adjusting the waves of sound which reach the target and return. Should the
current strength in its field windings. object have a crack, the time forced to return the echoes signal
can vary. Test range= (high-level time* sound velocity (340M /
S)/2) by using a method. The IR sensor mainly works relied on
luminance that falls on the sensor. Both devices are allocated set
standards. When the check reaches the defined value, it stops
and the faulty track's latitude and longitude location is collected
using the GPS device, and sent via the GSM modulation to the
base station. Ultrasonic rail check is usually limited to lower
speeds of about 20-30 mph which reduces the ability to test
several tracks consistently. Additionally, using the presently
available evaluation equipment, many of the most significant
deficiencies that may develop in the track head may be very
harder to detect. One justification for using traditional NDT for
slow inspection speeds is the need to combine the transducer and
track using liquid or dry coupling components. Regardless of the
length given to it the vehicle stops. For eg, if the duration is less
Figure.6.6.1. DC Motor than 15 and higher than 10, we set a 20-second interval and if
the vehicle is less than 10 and higher than 5, then we have a set
The stronger the voltage at the input, the greater the engine of around 100 seconds. If the length reaches 5 cm the vehicle
velocity. The concept proposed uses 2 direct current motors of completely stops. These three requirements will only be fulfilled
300 rpm. when the item in stop mode is available in its path.

6.7. Motor Driver 8. WORKING PRINCIPLE

The Motor Driver is a module for monitoring the motor
movements as well as the speed of the engines. The motor There are two provisions in the project for ultrasonic sensor

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units equipped on the opposing sides of the vehicle. This unit is
used for the initiation / deactivation of GSM transmission unit if
there is a crack in the path.

Figure.b. Flowchart for Monitoring Vehicles

Figure.a. Block Diagram for Monitoring Vehicles

9. IMPLEMENTATION The following figure shows the Crack Detected or Obstacle

Detected in the Display Screen of the Arduino
Here the proposed module is made up of hardware which was
previously explained in the description of the system design
hardware

Figure.b. i) Crack Detected

Figure.a. Hardware Module ii) Obstacle Detected

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The following figure shows that the SMS obtained on the [2]. “Railway Crack Detection System”, by Akhil N., Dinu
mobile phone with the latitudinal and longitudinal position at Mohan, Fayis P., SijaGopinath, International Research Journal
the point where a crack or obstacle is detected. of Engineering and Technology, Vol. 3, 2016.

[3]. “Railway Tracks Crack Detection Based on the GSM

Technique” by A. S. Muley, S B. Patil, A.H.Shelar, IRJET,
2017

[4]. “IR Sensor Based Crack Detection of Railway Track

Using GSM & GPS System”, by P Nikhar, R Pise, Avinash
IJRASET, 2017.

[5].An Arduino based Method for Detecting Cracks and

Obstacles in Railway Tracks” by Er.Kunduru Umamaheswari
and Er.Polepogu Rajesh, International Journal of Electronics,
Electrical and Computational System, Volume 6, April 2017.

[6].“An Inspection System for Detection of Cracks on the

Railway Track using a Mobile Robot” by Mr Shridhar
Doddmani, International Journal of Engineering Research &
Technology (IJERT) Vol. 4,May2015.

[7].”Railway Track Crack Detection Autonomous Vehicle” by

Ramavath Swetha, P.V.Prasad Reddy IJESC, 2015.
Figure.a. SMS Received in the mobile Phone

10. CONCLUSION

The approach taken is capable, if there are any, of detecting

flaws and obstacles on the surface. The method proposed has
lots of advantages over conventional detection approaches that
include minimal cost, reduced energy consumption, efficient
detection system without human involvement and shorter
analytical times. With this prototype, train collisions and
derailments can be easily prevented to save many lives. It is
also very beneficial for railroad operations testing units. And
we can also notice the position failure and the system used in
this, and also the location data is sent to the default mobile
number. So that this enables us in rail line preservation and
control as well. When we use the detector model for
monitoring and we can claim that it is a fusion energy vehicle.
The result shows that this exciting new technology will keep
increasing the efficiency of the safety features for rail
infrastructure. We can prevent accidents of up to 70% by
enforcing these functionalities in the real-time implementation.
Areas where manual testing is not feasible with this vehicle,
such as in shallow coalmines, mountainous areas and thick and
deep forests regions, can be easily carried out. When this
vehicle is used for railway inspections and breakage detection,
automatic SMS will be sent to a predetermined mobile number
if cracks or abnormalities are identified by the device sensors.
This will lead without errors to the management and control of
the state of the railway tracks, and thus to the preservation of
the tracks in good condition.

11. REFERENCES

[1]. “Implementation of Railway Track Crack Detection and

Protection” by N.Karthick, R.Nagarajan, S.Suresh and R.
Prabhu, International Journal Of Engineering And Computer
Science, Volume 6 Issue 5 May 2017.

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