Empowering the Yangtze River with Modern Technology

From the Bashan Mountains and Shushui River to the Jiangnan Water Village, the Yangtze River has nurtured a thousand-year-old cultural context. With the power of scientific and technological innovation, a new picture of a digital and intelligent Yangtze River is gradually unfolding.

The Chongqing Yangtze River Navigation Bureau is responsible for the construction, maintenance, and management of the 119.1km long waterway from Jiangjin Tongtaimen to Chongqing New Wharf in Chongqing. With the development of science and technology, the Chongqing Navigation Bureau has taken the construction of smart waterways as an opportunity to frequently launch new technological tools and accelerate the upgrading of AI technology.

The First “Invisible” Water Gauge on the Yangtze River Main Line

In 2020, Chongqing Navigation Bureau built the first video intelligent recognition physical water gauge and water level device. Four years later, with the help of Tiandi Weiye, the physical water gauge was replaced by the “invisible” video AI water gauge. The AI water gauge has been officially deployed successfully and the trial operation is normal.

The Tiandi Weiye Water Conservancy Platform displays the rolling river water, with the red virtual water gauge clearly visible, and the water level information accurate to three decimal places. This precise data comes from the Tiandi Weiye river hydrological monitoring instrument’s precise recognition and analysis of the data on the virtual water gauge in the video.

By deploying river water level monitors on the shore, applying video automatic water level recognition algorithms, and accurately analyzing the data on the virtual water gauge, accurate water level data can be obtained. Compared with traditional physical water gauges, video AI water gauges have the advantages of low construction cost, no need for cleaning and maintenance, and high recognition accuracy.

New Breakthroughs in the Application of Video AI Flow Measurement Technology

The Chongqing Yangtze River Navigation Administration and Tiandi Weiye have cooperated deeply to build the first video AI flow measurement device on the Chongqing waterway. For the first time, video AI technology was used to realize real-time monitoring of river surface flow velocity, and new results have been achieved in the innovative application of video AI technology in waterways.

The video AI flow measurement uses high-definition video to collect river section monitoring, has a built-in flow rate monitoring algorithm, and analyzes the surface flow rate of the water body based on dynamic monitoring and identification of multiple points on the water surface.

The outstanding function of this technology lies in that it does not need to be immersed in the river and is protected from the impact of water scouring and entanglement in the waterway. The flow measurement process also does not require human involvement, thus ensuring the safety of the flow measurement equipment and staff.

Compared with traditional ADCP flow measurement, video AI flow measurement has the advantages of low construction and maintenance cost, convenient and quick installation, visual monitoring, strong applicability, and high safety. It can be installed at a location far away from the water surface on the river bank, and has universal applicability to flow measurement scenarios, and can monitor the surface flow velocity in dangerous waters such as rapids and shallows.

The Yangtze River is vast and mighty, and the rapid development of science and technology has injected new vitality into the surging Yangtze River. In the future, Tiandi Weiye will continue to pay attention to the water conservancy construction of the Yangtze River, continue to explore the innovative application of video AI technology in waterways, strengthen digital empowerment, and use more advanced and high-quality products to protect “the clear water of the river flowing eastward”, and contribute to the high-quality development of smart water conservancy.