Gov’t deploys drones to monitor construction site

This is a part of its Low Altitude Economy Regulatory Sandbox Pilot Projects.

The Development Bureau is using drones for the first time to capture photos and videos and record spatial data at a large-scale construction site in Nui Po Shan, as part of its participation in the Government’s Low-Altitude Economy Regulatory Sandbox Pilot Projects.

The bureau hopes to leverage drones for site management, asset management, and emergency response operations.

Three key technological breakthroughs were held by the drones including high payload capacity, beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) with automatic flight operation, and efficient battery management.

The dockage stations can automatically replace drone batteries within a minute, said the bureau.

The drone can carry up to 6 kg of payload which may equip a laser imaging, detection, and ranging (LIDAR) scanner or an infrared thermal imaging camera.

Through our self-developed smart platform SmartEye, we can leverage data to verify that excavation meets the required slope, said Deputy Secretary for Development Tony Ho.

In addition, the Civil Engineering & Development Department, the Drainage Services Department, the Architectural Services Department and the Water Supplies Department will implement the technology across 12 pilot sites, including the Yuen Long Kam Tin River and reservoirs.