Upgraded Underwater Robot Enhances Inspection of Xiaolangdi Hydraulic Project
According to the Ministry of Water Resources, a newly upgraded underwater robot has recently showcased its capabilities during the post-flood maintenance of the Xiaolangdi and Xixia Yuan hydraulic projects. This advanced equipment can withstand water currents of up to 1.5 meters per second and has a maximum diving depth of 200 meters. It is equipped with a 12-megapixel high-definition camera system and a mechanical arm with a grasping force of approximately 5 kg. These features significantly reduce safety risks and operational costs, while greatly enhancing the efficiency and accuracy of inspections under complex water conditions. This provides a safer and more efficient way to conduct immediate inspections of underwater structures at the Xiaolangdi and Xixia Yuan hydraulic facilities.
The sluice channels, such as the sand discharge tunnels at the Xiaolangdi and Xixia Yuan projects, are critical facilities for flood control and are often submerged in pressurized water with low visibility. Traditional underwater inspections typically rely on human divers or water drainage methods, which carry high operational risks, low efficiency, and are heavily influenced by environmental conditions, leading to many blind spots in detection. In recent years, the Xiaolangdi hydraulic project has been committed to enhancing the application of new water resource technologies, introducing the first generation of underwater robots in 2023. These robots have been employed in various areas, including the energy dissipation tank, the dam face, and the orifice tunnels, to explore underwater inspections and continuously accumulate experience in detection.
By 2025, building on the initial results of these applications, the Xiaolangdi management center actively conducted technical research and introduced new underwater robotic equipment for independent inspection operations. During the post-flood inspection of the No. 5 sand discharge tunnel at the Xixia Yuan project, the upgraded underwater robot operated stably in deep water conditions. With its high-definition optical imaging and real-time data transmission systems, the robot achieved precise identification of defects in murky waters, reducing the inspection duration from three days to just two hours. This remarkable improvement not only boosted inspection efficiency and accuracy but also provided robust technical support for enhancing the overall safety of the hydraulic project.
Editor: Ning Jinhui
Reviewer: Cai Xudong
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