Hong Kong to test heavy-duty drones for construction and maintenance

Hong Kong’s Development Bureau will test whether heavy-duty drones, weighing nearly 150kg (330.6lbs) each, can carry essential items across up to six sites over the next 12 months, the South China Morning Post has learned.

In response to queries from the SCMP, the bureau revealed it was partnering with two companies to test whether the devices could carry heavy materials such as cement and manhole covers for construction work.

Other potential applications include clearing drains and cleaning building facades, as part of efforts to reduce safety risks and save maintenance costs for public projects and facilities.

“We want to use this Sandbox X project to trial the emerging technology, see how this new, complex, unconventional concept and technology can be safely iterated, validated, applied and extended under real-world conditions in our actual sites and facilities, and then to identify challenges we will face and adjust whatever is necessary in the applications accordingly. This is the first purpose,” a bureau spokesman said.

“This will not only help lower operational safety risks and simplify daily procedures, but also effectively enhance emergency response capabilities.”

The trial run is part of a “regulatory sandbox” launched in November last year that aims to boost the city’s “low-altitude economy”. A sandbox is a space where software or new technology can be tried out in a pilot scheme or test environment.