Digital track: structural health monitoring for track based on flexible multi-functional sensors

With the rapid growth of smart manufacturing and digital technology, it is possible to apply digital twin to structural health monitoring of track. It is difficult to monitor overall perception of the track using traditional sensors and methods with unclear information and low disposal efficiency. Digital twin technology is adopted to real time health data monitoring of track where 3D digital model of track is built on the monitoring terminal. Flexible multi-functional sensors laminated onto the rail waist are used to collect temperature, humidity, stress sensing data of track, which are seen as an interface from actual track to digital track. The visualization sensing data of digital track could be changed simultaneously when the healthy data from the actual track is changed. The sensing position in the 3D digital track is the same to the actual track for precision sensing as the unification of sensor sensing data and spatial scene of digital track. Visualization of digital track with flexible multi-functional sensors could achieve the actual sensing data of track, which has great potential to structural health monitoring of track for the safety evaluation of intelligent transportation system.