Singapore is preparing to start using drones to inspect its extensive network of underground subway tunnels.
The transport regulator issued a call for companies on Wednesday to design and develop appropriate technologies, including 360-degree video mapping of tunnels, as well as software that would automatically detect a malfunction and display its location. These smart technologies are hoped to complement the current manual inspection process, which takes about three hours each time, the Land Transport Authority said in a press release.
These inspections are usually carried out at night, after the daily service, and staff look for defects such as cracks and water leaks. The LTA says the drones will be trialled at 10 construction sites on the upcoming Thomson-East Coast line, which runs from the north to the east of the city, where they will be used to monitor the progress of the work by taking photos and videos.
In recent years, Singapore has suffered an increase in serious train breakdowns on two of its oldest subway lines, which are nearly two decades old. Both the North-South and East-West lines suffered system-wide damage in July 2015 due to a water leak in a tunnel.
These efforts come after new revelations that the city's largest metro operator, SMRT, failed to comply with operating aimed at protecting worker safety for more than 14 years.
While the Drone project is not directly related to personnel safety, having more automation inside tunnels is likely to reduce the number of hours people spend inside tunnels and are exposed to potential danger.
