The Development Bureau has applied the use of drones in the management of one of its construction sites for remote monitoring of progress and safety.
The pioneering introduction of drones at the site at Nui Po Shan -- where existing sewage treatment facilities are being relocated to purpose-built underground caverns -- has been deployed not to capture photos and video and record spatial data.
Deputy Secretary for Development Tony Ho Ying-kit highlighted three key technological breakthroughs in the bureau's drones, including a high payload capacity of up to 6kg, use of beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) with automatic operation flight technology and cutting-edge docking stations that allow for efficient battery management.
Ho added that the bureau's self-developed smart platform "SmartEye" will analyze the data collected by comparing images over time to measure soil and rock volumes, slope gradient as well as the verticality of structures, etc.
As for the BVLOS technology, it allows the bureau to achieve automated operation of its drones to follow pre-determined flight paths and monitor construction sites at scheduled times.
Moreover, the advanced docking stations enable drone batteries to be replaced automatically in about a minute.
The deployment is one of the first pilot projects under the Low-altitude Economy Regulatory Sandbox.
"Low-altitude economy is a new concept in Hong Kong and the city should seize the opportunity to develop the initiative," Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong Wai-lun, who chairs the Working Group on Developing Low-altitude Economy, commented when he inspected the project.
The Development Bureau aims to leverage drones for site management, for asset management and also for emergency response operations.
The Civil Engineering & Development Department, the Drainage Services Department, the Architectural Services Department and the Water Supplies Department will also implement the drone usage across 12 pilot sites, including the Yuen Long Kam Tin River and reservoirs.
