CHINA: The use of low-altitude drones to enhance the efficiency of railway maintenance is to be explored by Traffic Control Technology and MTR Corp.
The project will look at the use of drones to inspect stations, tracks and buildings, supported by artificial intelligence and other technologies for effective data analysis.
It forms part of the Hong Kong government’s Low-altitude Economy Regulatory Sandbox pilot programme, which aims to develop economic activities in airspace below 1 000 m.
A Low-altitude Railway Research & Development Centre was launched at the Hong Kong Science Park on April 1. TCT brings drone technology including a low-altitude airspace management platform, while MTR Corp brings railway expertise.
‘This partnership will support Hong Kong’s emergence as a global leader in the low-altitude economy’, said TCT Chairman Gao Chunhai.
MTR Corp CEO Dr Jacob Kam said the operator is actively collaborating with research institutions to build a ‘smart railway’, and the low-altitude economy ‘is an emerging industry with great potential’.
