Drones increasingly used to protect Great Wall

Drones have been used for the first time to help protect the Great Wall in Yanqing District, Beijing.

Aerial photo taken on Oct. 28, 2018 shows the autumn scenery of the Mutianyu Great Wall in Beijing,
capital of China [Credit: Xinhua/Chen Yehua]

Local authorities have put various drones into service for different purposes, work previously done only by human inspectors.

A multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is being used to collect data at centimetre level on core parts of the UNESCO world heritage site to establish a 3D model. A fixed-wing UAV is employed in long-distance inspection to maintain a close eye on potentially illegal construction near the Great Wall.

The use of drones helps human inspectors gain a precise understanding of the preservation of the Great Wall at delicate levels and reveals more information on areas difficult for people to access.

Yanqing has the most extensive Great Wall elements in the capital city as well as a complete preservation system.

Authorities said drones, satellite images and other new technologies will provide the most comprehensive, accurate data on the Great Wall to create a digital archive platform.

Source: ECNS [January 08, 2019]

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