A research project is trying to find out if drones can be used to scan bridges to check for faults and prevent disasters like the Genoa bridge collapse.
The drones, operating like a team of birds, could be recharged themselves by feeding on power grids as they fly around bridges checking for infrastructure faults.
Scientists at the University of Southern Denmark (USD) see the drone birds getting into places that humans can’t work, identifying problems quicker and completing inspections faster.
In August 2018, the Morandi Bridge in Genoa, Italy, collapsed, killing 43 people. In March 2018, a bridge collapsed in Florida killing four people.
In 2019, two people died when the Pont de Mirepoix collapsed, when a report to the Senate estimated about 25,000 bridges France were in need of urgent repair work.
In Italy this year there were 20 badly-damaged motorway bridges under investigation, 200 tunnels that did not comply with European standards and 1,000 viaducts where ownership is unclear, according to reporting by Euronews.
"You can compare the system to a flock of birds," said Emad Samuel Malki Ebeid, who is co-ordinating the project. "If we can get our drone birds to eat from the power cables, they will have the energy to fly out and monitor the terrain."
The biggest technological hurdle is getting all of the technologies to work together – to fly, inspect, report, and recharge the drones autonomously.
Associate Professor Ebeid told The National: "We see a minimum of four drones working together.
“For bridges, it is very challenging [for people] to reach underneath the bridge to do a proper inspection. It may take months to do so. I would think drones are at least 10 times faster than humans to inspect infrastructures.
“[The drones] can reach unreachable areas such as underneath bridges or corners or the tops of the railway cables supporters. Drones can get closer to objects and get better pictures.
“Drones with Artificial Intelligence and the recharging system can operate for longer times and report automatically when they find faults in the infrastructure under inspection.”
The drone birds will be looking for at least 10 different types of infrastructure faults, including worn or torn bearings, rust and other damage.
Inspections are currently carried out using helicopters.
Preliminary research has shown that 71 per cent of Europe’s bridges are within 3km of high voltage power cables, and now the USD team hopes they can tap that for drone recharging.
The team aims to conduct the first automatic drone inspections by the beginning of 2022.
“For the bridge inspection, the vision is to let them fly at the beginning of the bridge and they will collaborate to inspect the bridge,” Prof Ebeid said.
“For the railway inspection, the aim is to divide the railway into length sections, then a team of drones flies, inspects, and recharges by going back and forth.
“Based on the shape of the structure, the drones form themselves to get a closer look. They talk together through radio channels and to the cloud using an internet connection.”
Mental%20health%20support%20in%20the%20UAE
%3Cp%3E%E2%97%8F%20Estijaba%20helpline%3A%208001717%3Cbr%3E%E2%97%8F%20UAE%20Ministry%20of%20Health%20and%20Prevention%20hotline%3A%20045192519%3Cbr%3E%E2%97%8F%20UAE%20Mental%20health%20support%20line%3A%20800%204673%20(Hope)%3Cbr%3EMore%20information%20at%20hope.hw.gov.ae%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
AndhaDhun
Director: Sriram Raghavan
Producer: Matchbox Pictures, Viacom18
Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan
Rating: 3.5/5
How green is the expo nursery?
Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery
An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo
Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery
Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape
The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides
All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality
Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country
Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow
Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site
Green waste is recycled as compost
Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs
Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers
About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer
Main themes of expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.
Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months
Cricket World Cup League Two
Oman, UAE, Namibia
Al Amerat, Muscat
Results
Oman beat UAE by five wickets
UAE beat Namibia by eight runs
Fixtures
Wednesday January 8 –Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 – Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 – UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
Green ambitions
- Trees: 1,500 to be planted, replacing 300 felled ones, with veteran oaks protected
- Lake: Brown's centrepiece to be cleaned of silt that makes it as shallow as 2.5cm
- Biodiversity: Bat cave to be added and habitats designed for kingfishers and little grebes
- Flood risk: Longer grass, deeper lake, restored ponds and absorbent paths all meant to siphon off water
PRO BASH
Thursday’s fixtures
6pm: Hyderabad Nawabs v Pakhtoon Warriors
10pm: Lahore Sikandars v Pakhtoon Blasters
Teams
Chennai Knights, Lahore Sikandars, Pakhtoon Blasters, Abu Dhabi Stars, Abu Dhabi Dragons, Pakhtoon Warriors and Hyderabad Nawabs.
Squad rules
All teams consist of 15-player squads that include those contracted in the diamond (3), platinum (2) and gold (2) categories, plus eight free to sign team members.
Tournament rules
The matches are of 25 over-a-side with an 8-over power play in which only two fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle. Teams play in a single round robin league followed by the semi-finals and final. The league toppers will feature in the semi-final eliminator.
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
More on Turkey's Syria offence
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
