Cross-Boundary Knowledge Sharing on UAV-Enabled Inspection Technologies

On April 28, 2025, The Trustworthy Autonomous Systems Lab (TAS Lab) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University hosted an information exchange session with the Zhejiang Handover and Maintenance Engineering Branch Company and PolyU’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), fostering dialogue on integrating autonomous UAV systems into next-generation infrastructure maintenance.

Upon arrival, the UAV team engaged in close discussions with members of TAS Lab, covering a wide range of topics including UAV applications in urban environments, system design, and operational safety.

Bridging Research and Industry Needs

The meeting focused on leveraging TAS Lab’s Aerial Robotics research to bridge the gap between academia and industry. The Zhejiang engineering group, a leading provider of infrastructure maintenance services in China, was invited to share their experiences with integrating UAVs into their operations. aerial robotics expertise to address challenges in large-scale infrastructure inspection and maintenance, a core competency of the Zhejiang engineering group. Key discussion points included:

AI-powered UAV inspection systems for bridges, highways, and smart city assets.

Predictive maintenance algorithms using drone-collected sensor data (LiDAR, thermal imaging).

Regulatory synergies between Hong Kong’s LAE sandbox and mainland China’s UAV operation frameworks.

Academic-Industry Synergy

The CEE Department highlighted complementary research in:

– Smart City and smart infrastructure, with a focus on smart city asset management, including:

• Smart bridge and smart highway, with a focus on smart asset management, including:
  • Bridge condition monitoring and maintenance.
  • Structural health monitoring via drone-mounted sensors.
    – Digital twin integration for real-time asset management.