Abstract

Detecting catenary geometric parameters is essential in railway maintenance and operation. Key parameters include contact wire height, stagger at the locator, and steady arm orientation angle, along with automatic number plate recognition for rapid fault localization and improved maintenance workflows. This paper presents a portable detection device that integrates LiDAR and image recognition for automated, high-precision measurement of these parameters. The system simultaneously captures height, stagger, and locator angle while recognizing catenary mast identification numbers. Experimental validation confirms outstanding performance, measurement error within 3%, and recognition accuracy over 90% for both locator angles and number plates. These results demonstrate the device’s reliability and practicality for field deployment in railway systems.