A2Z Drone Delivery enhances waterway patrols in Anji City
A2Z Drone Delivery, based in Torrance, California, has partnered with the Anji Bureau of Water Resources to implement an autonomous aerial patrol system for monitoring urban protected waterways and reservoirs in Anji City, China.
The Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) by A2Z Drone Delivery are being utilised to monitor activities such as illegal dumping, external run-off, and unapproved construction and boating within the designated waterways. Previously, completing a full survey of the 37-kilometre waterway using traditional ground vehicles and foot patrols would take several weeks. Now, a single operator can manage a fleet of four drones to complete the same patrol within 1.5 hours. This efficiency is achieved with the integration of artificial intelligence tools for video analysis, and the drones are equipped with a megaphone, LED lights, and a winch for interactions and emergency responses.
The technology behind this development is powered by the newly launched A2Z AirDocks, a network of drone docks that allows the UAVs to operate beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS). The AirDocks play a crucial role by automatically recharging the drones and providing ready deployment capabilities throughout urban Anji City, with eight strategically placed docks supporting the drone fleet.
Alongside its primary mission of patrolling the waterways, the drone system also supports water rescue operations by delivering lifesaving flotation devices to swimmers in distress. Moreover, when drones are not patrolling, they are employed for local food deliveries, enhancing service efficiency for retailers by sharing fleet capabilities at a lower cost than independent delivery systems.
Aaron Zhang, CEO of A2Z Drone Delivery, stated, "As drone regulations continue to mature here in the US, customers around the world are embracing the unique advantages of shared drone dock networks to support multiple simultaneous beyond-visual-line-of-sight drone services. This first deployment of our shared dock network in support of the Anji Bureau of Water Resources is delivering massive manpower savings for their reservoir oversight, mitigating the emissions of traditional terrestrial vehicle patrol and delivering real-time actionable patrol footage more efficiently than ever before, all while simultaneously supporting lifesaving payload deliveries within the network as well as local food delivery."
Anji City, known as China's first National Ecological County, strives to provide clean drinking water and preserve its environment for both residents and eco-tourists. The partnership with A2Z Drone Delivery is part of a wider roll-out plan aimed at building a comprehensive regional drone infrastructure based on the A2Z AirDock network. The drone fleet, comprising Longtail UAVs, functions efficiently at altitude, avoiding ground-level obstacles while transiting between docks during patrols.
ChongShan Wan, Director of the Anji Bureau of Water Resources, said, "With our water sources navigating much of the urban center of Anji City, it has traditionally required a great deal of manpower and resources to patrol those areas with standard ground vehicles and personnel. We recognised the transformative efficiencies of autonomous unmanned aerial patrols to deliver near real-time monitoring of our water infrastructure, especially amongst our high-traffic urban centers."
The current fleet, supported by eight AirDocks, patrols both day and night using high-resolution and infrared cameras to ensure comprehensive surveillance. At the operations centre, AI tools analyse the patrol data to identify noteworthy activities or incidents. Communication with field personnel is facilitated by the drone's onboard megaphone and LED lighting system, enhancing both the efficacy and reach of waterway surveillance operations.
"With the deployment of these unmanned patrol capabilities, we've been able to massively improve our ability to monitor the rivers and reservoirs throughout Anji City," added ChongShan Wan. "Not only has this drone infrastructure network enabled us to better monitor the impacts of urban life on our water resources, but we have also opened the door to other advanced drone services for our county's residents."
The partnership's next phase will include expanding the drone network's infrastructure beyond Anji's urban area to cover more of the 1,800 square kilometre county, improving the protection and management of the region's resources and supporting additional local retail deliveries.
