Localization of Trains and Mapping of Railway Tracks

Kurzfassung

Train localization with exclusive onboard sensors is a key technology for the next generation of digital railway applications. Onboard train localization uses train mounted sensors as well as a digital map of the railway tracks. The main requirements are continuous availability and track-selectivity. This thesis comprises an analysis of track feature measurements from the onboard sensors: GNSS (global navigation satellite system), IMU (inertial measurement unit), and magnetometer. Three train localization methods are presented and evaluated: a simple map-match method, a probabilistic particle filter method and a probabilistic multiple hypothesis tracker method. Finally, a simultaneous localization and mapping method for railways, called RailSLAM, is presented and the created track map is analyzed.