The Development Bureau of Hong Kong has begun using drones in the management of a large construction site at Nui Po Shan, where existing sewage treatment facilities are being relocated. The drones are used to capture photos and video, and also record spatial data, enabling remote monitoring of progress and safety.
Hong Kong’s Civil Engineering & Development Department, the Drainage Services Department, the Architectural Services Department and the Water Supplies Department will eventually implement the technology across 12 pilot sites, including the Yuen Long Kam Tin River and reservoirs.
The Nui Po Shan deployment is one of the first pilot projects under Hong Kong’s Low-altitude Economy Regulatory Sandbox. The drones have a payload capacity of up to 6kg, fly beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) with “automatic operation flight technology”, and use docking stations that enable automatic battery replacement. They can be equipped with a laser imaging, detection and ranging (LIDAR) scanner, as well as an infrared thermal imaging camera. The Development Bureau’s self-developed smart platform, SmartEye, analyses the data collected.
The BVLOS operation consists of pre-determined flight paths and at scheduled times, with operators managing multiple drones simultaneously across different sites.
The bureau aims to achieve three goals through its participation in the government’s sandbox: utilise drones for site management, for asset management and also for emergency response operations.
For more information
Hong Kong government news site
Image: Hong Kong Development Bureau
