Figure 2: The smart signal tower inspection system consists of drones, AI engines, and remote monitoring devices.
The EMSD has proactively adopted I&T solutions to improve asset management efficiency and service quality. One such initiative is the use of advanced equipment and systems to optimise the workflow of routine inspections for the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO), which enhances the performance in maintaining the client's assets and work safety of our staff.
Enhancing Flight Safety with Custom-made Inspection Equipment
To ensure the safe take-offs and landings of aircraft, the HKO has installed real-time runway visual range and visibility surveillance devices, a few metres above the ground along the runways of the Hong Kong International Airport. The EMSD has been tasked with inspecting and cleaning the optical components of these devices periodically. Since these tasks need to be performed at night, it is potentially dangerous for our staff to climb up to platforms for working at height in poor lighting condition. Therefore, the EMSD and HKO jointly developed a set of custom-made inspection and cleaning equipment, which consists of a wireless micro-camera, an air blower, a telescopic aluminium tube, and a nozzle. Complemented by the testing equipment on the ground, it enables our staff to carry out the inspection and cleaning tasks at ground level. After multiple refinements and rigorous field tests, it was officially put into service in September 2023 and delivers impressive results.
Smart Signal Tower Inspection System Using Drones and AI for Analysis and Inspection
In the past, inspecting the HKO's signal towers necessitated erecting scaffolds for our staff to work at height, and manually examining thousands of photographs afterwards. For the sake of safety and saving time, the EMSD has pioneered a smart signal tower inspection system that comprises drones and AI engines. The drones capture aerial photographs of the signal towers, which are then analysed by the AI engines of a backend system to identify defects such as cracks and corrosion and create 3D digital models. The system is even outfitted with cameras and tilt sensors to monitor and identify tilting and deformation of the signal towers in real time. All inspection data will be uploaded to a cloud data platform for proper documentation and monitoring of the tower condition. Compared with the traditional inspection workflow, this new solution reduces costs by approximately 50% and time by about 90%, significantly enhancing efficiency, and at the same time improving work safety.
The smart inspection system can be further applied to the routine inspection work at other clients' venues and facilities, such as high mast lampposts, bridges, facades, and slopes, thus enhancing asset management efficiency for our clients.