Image-processing technique for investigating stranded wire

The paper describes a technique for automatically inspecting the stranded wires that support telecommunication cables in the air. This technique estimates the degree of corrosion by applying image-processing techniques to an image taken by a micro-CCD camera remote-controlled from the ground. The parameters used for judging corrosion are the decrease in strand diameter and the strand´s surface texture. We evaluated this technique´s usefulness by testing it on sample wires and actual wires in use. The results showed that this technique can judge corrosion as well as skilled inspectors can. It will give consistent evaluations of the degree of corrosion, eliminate the need for inspectors to work high above the ground, and reduce inspection costs