AI and algae come to the rescue of the Great Wall

SHIJIAZHUANG — Weaving through the remains of a centuries-old watchtower, an agile four-legged robot checked the "health" of the ancient structure at Shanhaiguan Pass — a historic section of the Great Wall in Qinhuangdao city, North China's Hebei province.

Equipped with smart sensors, high-definition cameras, and lidar, the patroller can precisely identify problems such as cracks and missing bricks, and report them to relevant departments in real time.

"The robot can replace human inspectors to perform dangerous and strenuous inspections, improving both the efficiency and quality of the Great Wall protection," says Liu Liang, head of a research team affiliated with the Hebei Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Exploration.