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BACKGROUND

The present invention is directed to the field of railroad track inspection, and more specifically to a method and sys tem of rail component detection using vision technology. To maintain safe and efficient operations, railroads must inspect their tracks for physical defects on a regular basis. Track inspections are not only required by Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) regulations, but also enforced by indi vidual railroad companies, usually with more stringent requirements, to maintain track health to a higher standard. Such track inspection normally covers a wide spectrum of tests, ranging from detecting Surface cracks on the rail, mea Suring rail profile and gauge size, to monitoring the condi tions of joint bars, spikes and anchors. Some of these inspec tions, such as the measurement of the position, curvature and alignment of the track, have already been automated using a track geometry car, yet …