Mono and stereoscopic image analysis for detecting the transverse profile of worn-out rails

The purpose of this paper is to suggest a new procedure for reconstructing the transverse profile of rails in operation by meansof image-processing technique. This methodological approach is based on the “information” contained in high-resolutionphotographic images of tracks and on specific algorithms which allow to obtain the exact geometric profile of the rails andtherefore to measure the state of the rail-head extrados wear. The analyses and the results concern rails taken from railwaylines under upgrading by means of mono- and stereoscopic methods which are appropriate to be employed in laboratoryapplications or in high-efficiency surveys in situ.