5G-Based Real-Time Remote Inspection Support

Image analysis has been increasingly used in damage detection, particularly in the inspection of aging bridges. We adopted the image-analysis-based damage detection technology to study the feasibility of remote inspection support aimed at reducing the number of engineers that are dispatched to bridge sites. The remote inspection support involves uploading bridge images from the bridge site and then issuing directions and instructions to an onsite inspection engineer while a skilled engineer at a remote location verifies the damage detection results in real time. The 5G interface, which can transfer large volumes of data in a short time, was used to upload images, enabling shorter upload times compared with 4G. In addition, by sharing damage conditions in real-time, the engineer at a remote office could ascertain them in detail and make appropriate decisions without going to the bridge site. The damages are complex in aged bridges and their decision requires extensive experience and knowledge of skilled engineers. We determined that 5G-based inspections are highly efficient because directions and instructions can be received from a bridge site in real time in cases where a skilled engineer's decision is needed.