The Chinese Transportation News Network reports that highway maintenance in Gansu's Lixian section now has a dedicated "airborne steward." Previously, understanding road conditions in rain, darkness, or checking for hidden dangers like slope collapses, fallen rocks, or the functionality of reflective signs required maintenance workers to inspect segments on foot or by vehicle. Now, this process has been transformed.
Recently, the Lixian Highway Section of the Gansu Longnan Highway Development Center, in collaboration with Gansu Ziguang technicians, completed the deployment, testing, and field trial of drone-based intelligent inspection equipment on National Highway 247. This was done on the high-risk K626+000–K636+000 mountain section prone to rockfalls and the K602+000–K608+000 section. The pilot-used DJI intelligent drone base station features full automation capabilities, including unattended operation, automatic takeoff and landing, autonomous charging, and real-time data transmission, enabling 24/7 routine inspection operations.
The drone is equipped with a high-definition zoom camera and an intelligent AI recognition system. During flight, it can capture full details of the road surface, precisely identifying common defects like potholes and cracks, and quickly assessing slope stability and potential rockfall hazards. The entire daily inspection process is managed remotely online, with a single button to start fully automated patrols, view high-definition real-time footage, and automatically mark the location of defects. After heavy rain or short-duration, intense rainfall, the drone can be deployed immediately for specialized patrols, quickly identifying sudden hazards like fallen rocks, slope collapses, and erosion gullies. This efficient risk assessment helps secure valuable time for emergency repairs and rapid road clearing.
For nighttime inspections, the drone leverages its powerful thermal imaging capabilities. It can precisely detect hidden defects that are difficult to see during the day, such as road surface voids, structural temperature anomalies, and minor slope movements, enabling thorough, blind-spot-free inspections even in the dark. Moving forward, the Lixian Highway Section will continue to deepen the integration of low-altitude technology with highway maintenance. Plans include optimizing drone patrol routes and AI defect recognition functions, expanding drone inspection applications, and setting up automatic, more frequent patrols based on early warning signals. This will ensure the "airborne sentinel" remains on duty, supporting higher-quality highway maintenance through smarter, more efficient, and more precise methods.