The railway stretches forward between the mountains and the outskirts of the city, with many sections located in dangerous terrain. Relying on manual hiking or vehicle inspections is not only time-consuming and laborious, but also requires inspectors to face various risks such as landslides and rockfalls. Many hidden dangers are difficult to detect in a timely manner. Relying on low altitude economy and artificial intelligence technology, the traditional civil air defense model is undergoing changes. China Tower Qingdao Branch has partnered with Jinan Railway Public Security Bureau to launch a low altitude AI inspection plan on the Blue Smoke Railway, turning communication towers into three-dimensional perception nodes and opening up a new mode of railway security.

New pilot program

The project selects two tower locations, equipped with high point monitoring, automatic unmanned aerial vehicles, and low altitude detection equipment, all of which are connected to the tower video platform. The coverage radius of a single tower monitoring can reach 23 kilometers, with a coverage capacity more than 30 times that of traditional low point monitoring. AI can automatically identify risks such as personnel intrusion, foreign object intrusion, fire, etc. After receiving the alarm, the drone will autonomously rush to the scene for verification, while monitoring black flying aircraft to form a complete disposal loop and achieve coordinated prevention and control of six types of risks.

Multiple advantages of inspection

This mode has obvious advantages over traditional inspection methods, as it can reach areas such as slopes and bridge bottoms that are difficult for personnel to approach, eliminating blind spots during inspections. Drone autonomous cruising combined with AI recognition enhances inspection efficiency and reduces high-risk operations for frontline personnel. Hidden dangers can be warned in advance, and inspection data can be automatically retained and archived for easy subsequent analysis and judgment. Reuse existing tower power supply and fiber optic cable resources, without the need for large-scale construction of poles, effectively controlling construction investment.

Wide range of application scenarios

Outside of Qingdao, similar inspection plans have been implemented in many domestic railways. Railway lines in Northeast, Northwest, and Southwest China are all using drone AI inspections to cope with the operational pressure brought by complex terrain. This high point perception and drone cruising solution has also been extended to fields such as electricity, water conservancy, forest and grass fire prevention. One digital tower serves multiple industries and promotes the co construction and sharing of public infrastructure. Keywords: China Tower, low altitude AI inspection, low altitude economy

Low altitude AI inspection is continuously entering more infrastructure scenarios. It is not just an update of inspection tools, but also a transformation of operation and maintenance thinking, promoting the shift of security management from passive disposal to pre prevention. With the continuous optimization of low altitude supporting facilities and AI algorithms, this solution will continue to be promoted in lifeline projects such as railways, power grids, and water conservancy, using aerial perception capabilities to safeguard the smooth operation of major infrastructure.Editor/Li Xiaohua