Health and usage monitoring for electrical/mechanical contacts

Abstract

A system includes an electrical/mechanical contact having a joint connecting a first conductor to a second conductor for electrical contact with one another. An imaging device has a field of view positioned so the joint is in the field of view. A controller has an input operatively connected to the imaging device to receive imaging data from the imaging device for health and usage monitoring of the joint. A method includes receiving imaging data from an imaging device indicative of health and usage of a joint of an electrical/mechanical contact. Receiving imaging data is performed continuously at intervals. The method includes analyzing the imaging data with a model to create health and usage data indicative of health and usage of the joint and altering electrical current in the joint based on the health and usage data.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.