Low-altitude economy takes off across the board

By Yan Wanqin

In Yiling District of Yichang, low-altitude applications are moving from concept to daily reality. Drones now patrol forests, fight fires and ease traffic, as the district builds an aerial network to support more precise urban governance.

At Xisaiguo National Forest Park, an industrial drone lifts off and follows a preset route through the mountains, completing an autonomous patrol of key areas in 17 minutes. Conducting four inspections a day, it monitors fire hazards and traffic conditions, serving as a low-altitude sentinel for the forest.

The district has partnered with a drone technology firm to build an integrated air-ground urban governance system. It has deployed 86 fully autonomous inspection systems and two autonomous firefighting systems, enabling all-weather patrols across urban and rural areas of the district, which covers an area of 3,439 square kilometers and has a population of almost 600,000.

The system's value was on display on June 29, when a fire broke out at an industrial park. A drone took off within 25 seconds of receiving the order and pinpointed the source of the fire. Using infrared thermal imaging, it tracked the fire's spread and relayed live high-definition footage to commanders, helping crews extinguish the blaze quickly.

The platform is now used for Yangtze River protection, forest fire prevention, flood and drowning prevention, geological hazard monitoring, traffic management and improving living environments.

Expanding applications are drawing low-altitude enterprises to the district. Yi’an Technology (Hubei) Co., Ltd. launched its X-600 heavy-lift drone this year, and the model has gained steady market recognition.

"The X-600 has a maximum payload of 300 kilograms and can be used for firefighting, hauling materials up mountains, and relocating large equipment," said Ye Mengxin, general manager of the company. "We expect annual output value to reach 40 million yuan (US$5.9 million)."

Efficiency is the selling point. A drilling rig weighing hundreds of kilograms was lifted uphill with the help of an X-600 in eight hours at a roadless mountain site, where building a cableway alone would have taken a week. The company's newer X-800 model, with a 400-kilogram payload, has entered mass production.

Other firms are contributing to the emerging ecosystem. Hubei Hangsen Dongli, a maker of portable high-pressure firefighting pumps, began production in July in the district's science and innovation park.

In an April drill at a quarry, an X-600 drone carrying a Hangsen pump climbed to 250 meters. Hovering about 10 meters above the fire site, it sprayed water while ground crews operated the controls, quickly suppressing the flames. The equipment fills a gap in the province's production of portable high-pressure firefighting pumps. It also supports a more flexible "drone-first, ground-water-supply" model for firefighting in mountainous areas and high-rise buildings.

Yiling will keep improving its network of innovation platforms, build a high-standard science and innovation center, and upgrade platforms including the Three Gorges Low-Altitude Aircraft Research Institute, said Cao Qin, director of the Yiling District Science and Technology Development Center. A proof-of-concept center will also be set up to bridge basic research and commercialization, aiming to advance the low-altitude economy through platforms and innovation.

Zhao Jingyi, Yue Li also contributed to the story.