Korea Railroad, Integrated Safety Management of Railway Facilities with 'Autonomous Flight Drone'

A drone inspecting a railway bridge through autonomous flight. Provided by Korea Railroad Corporation

[Asia Economy (Daejeon) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL) has developed and is operating an integrated safety management system that enables precise inspection of railway sites using autonomous flying drones.

According to KORAIL on the 4th, this system operates by having drones autonomously fly around railway facilities, capturing video footage that is then analyzed in 3D to determine and statistically manage any abnormalities in the facilities.

The purpose of developing this system is to enable safer and more advanced inspections of railway facilities such as railway bridges and transmission towers, which are difficult for personnel to access.

In particular, KORAIL expects the autonomous flight function to help overcome the limitations where it was difficult for humans to directly control drones near complex-shaped facilities adjacent to high-speed train tracks, which are exposed to strong winds and high-voltage currents.

The autonomous flying drones will fly along optimal routes and automatically capture high-resolution photos on site.

Additionally, KORAIL explains that the drones, equipped with six rotors, can withstand the wind generated by high-speed trains and operate normally despite interference from high-voltage currents and electromagnetism, thanks to a hybrid navigation system that secures backup routes.

Conceptual Diagram of Integrated Safety Management System Using Drones. Provided by Korea Railroad Corporation

The videos captured by the drones are transmitted to a mobile drone control vehicle, where artificial intelligence analyzes the footage to reconstruct the structure’s exterior, automatically diagnosing damages such as cracks, corrosion, and peeling, and automatically storing all results as data.

Previously, as part of the national research and development project “Automated Inspection System for Vulnerable Railway Facilities Based on Unmanned Mobile Platforms” by the Korea Agency for Infrastructure Technology Advancement, KORAIL, the Korea Railroad Research Institute, and seven industry-academic-research organizations including domestic SMEs have been developing a “railway site customized drone system” since 2019.

Yoon Im-su, Director of the Technology Safety Research Department at KORAIL, said, “The autonomous flying drone was developed for precise inspection and proactive preventive management of railway facilities,” adding, “KORAIL will thoroughly verify its performance and safety and expand its application company-wide.”