Visualization analysis of the current status and hot topics of tracking foreign object detection based on VOSviewer

Track debris poses a significant threat to railway transportation safety, underscoring the importance of research into detection technologies. This paper employs the VOSviewer tool to conduct a visual analysis of literature in the field of track debris detection. First, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database was selected, and valid literature from 2011 to 2024 was screened to clarify the data sources. Second, in conjunction with VOSviewer, the publication timeline was statistically analyzed, core authors were identified, and keyword co-occurrence hotspots were extracted. Finally, the analysis revealed that the number of publications in this field has shown fluctuating growth, with a significant increase in activity after 2020. The results indicate that current research focuses on algorithm optimization and the integration of multiple technologies, providing references for future exploration in terms of authors and research directions. This contributes to advancing track foreign object detection technology toward intelligent and practical applications, which is of great significance for ensuring railway transportation safety and provides a reference basis for industry research planning and development.