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Deep diveROBOTICS

[Robotics]+[Progress]: BridgeGuard Autonomous Bridge Inspection Robot Completes First Unmanned Full-Bridge Inspection

The BridgeGuard bridge inspection robot swarm, jointly developed by CCCC and DJI, completed the first unmanned full-bridge inspection of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, integrating visual, radar, and ultrasonic multi-modal sensing.

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Regular inspection of large bridges is a critical part of infrastructure maintenance. The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, for example, requires comprehensive inspection of its 55-kilometer bridge structure every two years. Traditional manual inspection takes three months and requires road closures. In May 2030, the BridgeGuard robot swarm, jointly developed by CCCC and DJI, completed the first unmanned full-bridge inspection of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.

BridgeGuard comprises three types of robots: aerial inspection drones responsible for visual inspection of cables, bridge towers, and elevated structures; underbridge crawling robots that move inside the bridge box girders, using ground-penetrating radar and ultrasonic sensors to detect internal concrete defects; and surface unmanned vessels responsible for inspecting the underwater portions of bridge piers.

CCCC's chief engineer said: "The bridge deck inspection of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge is relatively straightforward. The real difficulty lies in the underwater portions of the piers and the interior of the box girders. In the past, divers and engineers had to crawl through narrow box girders—dangerous and inefficient."

BridgeGuard completed the full inspection of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge in 5 days, identifying 12 structural anomalies requiring attention, including 3 instances of concrete crack propagation and 2 cases of steel cable protective layer deterioration. Inspection accuracy was comparable to manual inspection, but efficiency improved 18-fold.

DJI's industry applications lead said: "BridgeGuard's core technical breakthrough lies in multi-robot collaborative perception. The aerial drones and underbridge crawling robots share a real-time 3D map, ensuring complete inspection coverage with no blind spots."

However, BridgeGuard still requires manual control and decision-making. Fully autonomous inspection workflows require stronger environmental perception and anomaly judgment capabilities. DJI plans to achieve fully autonomous BridgeGuard operation by 2032.