To improve plant safety, Plant 2 of OPTC introduced the automatic drone inspection system. The drones fly over the plant premise based on a preprogrammed route and a fixed schedule, and record footages of the inspected areas. In the past, the recorded images were not tagged with coordinates, thus unable to accommodate immediate actions during emergency. The new system uploads real-time images to the cloud display and cross-compares time-lapse images through AI to identify and label anomalies from the equipment as well as possible insulation damages or steam leakages.

The drone inspection captures high-attitude images with wide shots. Paired with the infrared sensor, the drones are capable of inspecting hard-to-reach areas such as elevated pipelines to detect steam leakages, which had been difficult to accomplish through manual operation. The system makes it easy for staff to review and label anomalies and to arrange for maintenance and repair, hence reducing energy loss, minimizing damages to the pipelines and prolonging equipment lifespan.