Ensuring Inspector Safety and Enhancing Productivity through Remote Inspection
[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Su-yeon] SK Telecom announced on the 31st that it has developed and applied a system that inspects the safety of communication towers using drones and image analysis artificial intelligence (AI).
SKT developed an image analysis AI model through an in-house expert group to inspect the safety regarding the loosening of bolts and nuts on communication towers, and utilized it in drone filming to complete on-site verification.
Communication towers equipped with antennas for transmission and reception are installed all across the country, with heights reaching up to 75 meters. Regular maintenance is necessary to prevent accidents caused by aging such as loosening bolts and nuts or corrosion. Until now, visual inspections have been conducted by specialized personnel climbing the towers to check their condition.
Through this intelligent safety inspection, SKT not only aims to prevent accidents caused by aging communication towers but also minimizes the need for inspectors to climb the towers by using drone inspections, thereby ensuring the safety of the inspectors.
Additionally, by applying the AI model for defect detection to the images captured by drones, SKT improved work productivity compared to the traditional visual inspection method. Before applying the AI model, inspectors had to visually check about 100 images taken by drones for one communication tower, but this process has been automated using the self-developed image analysis AI model. As a result, SKT reduced the inspection time by 95% and enhanced the reliability and consistency of the inspections.
SKT plans to continuously advance the intelligent communication tower safety inspection system by adding inspection items such as wind pressure safety and tilting, enhancing AI, and linking it with the safety management system.
To evolve the AI of communication networks, SKT is selecting and promoting tasks in anomaly detection, operations, engineering, and optimization fields. The current drone and AI-based communication tower safety inspection is part of strengthening safety in the operations field.
As part of the AI evolution of communication networks, SKT also developed an AI-based manhole safety management solution last year and applied it to manholes near major communication facilities.
Park Myung-soon, head of SKT Infrastructure DT, said, "By utilizing drones and AI in this communication tower safety inspection, we have effectively supplemented the visual inspection method and laid the foundation for securing the safety of inspectors." He added, "We will continue to promote innovation tasks across all operations for the evolution toward AI communication networks and steadily nurture field personnel into experts capable of AI development to secure the capabilities for continuous AI advancement."
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