In the mountainous forests of Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, border patrol police have gained a new partner during their patrols: a compact drone. This drone is capable of automatic obstacle avoidance and can identify abnormal activities such as damaging border markers and illegally tampering with oil and gas pipelines, transmitting annotated information in real-time back to the command center.

The core of this system is a smart box independently developed by a team of experts from the Future Transportation Innovation Research Institute in the Dian Zhong New Area. According to Professor Wang Qingwang from the team, the system integrates with edge computing, multi-sensor fusion, and artificial intelligence technologies, enabling a full-process intelligent inspection from data collection and processing to analysis and decision-making. It has already been deployed in various scenarios, including border security, road hazard monitoring, and unauthorized intrusion detection.

The system is based on a cloud-edge-end computing architecture, divided into the terminal perception layer (drones), edge computing layer, cloud center layer, and application layer. Through hierarchical collaboration, it achieves automated task execution, intelligent data analysis, and beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) operations exceeding 20 kilometers, forming a "collection—processing—decision—feedback" closed loop.

As its applications expand, the system faces challenges such as surging computing power demands, rising hardware costs, compressed mission times, and signal transmission obstructions in complex terrain. The team is currently working to enhance functionality while ensuring sustained mission duration and is researching the use of distributed communication nodes to improve data transmission stability.

Next, the team will focus on deploying infrared image enhancement algorithms to improve operational stability and image clarity during nighttime and under adverse environmental conditions. They will also accelerate the deployment of distributed communication nodes and develop scenario-specific algorithms to provide more efficient inspection solutions for various fields. (Dian Zhong New Area News Reporter: Shu Juanheng)