Osaka Institute of Technology Commercializes Drone System that Adheres to Steel to Capture 3D Data of Tunnel Faces
Osaka Institute of Technology, in collaboration with Shimizu Corporation, Enzan-Kobo, and Shrewd-Sekkei, has developed and commercialized "Perch-RIM," a drone system for unmanned measurement of tunnel faces in mountain tunneling projects. The system works by magnetically attaching a drone to steel supports near the tunnel face and using a LiDAR sensor to acquire high-precision 3D point cloud data. This significantly improves safety by eliminating the need for workers to enter hazardous areas prone to rockfalls, while also contributing to cost reduction through shorter work times. The system's effectiveness has already been verified in field tests at several large-scale tunnel construction sites in Japan.
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- 📰 Published: May 18, 2026 at 19:00
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Osaka Institute of Technology, in a joint effort with Shimizu Corporation, Enzan-Kobo, and Shrewd-Sekkei, has developed and commercialized the "Perch-RIM (Perch-Realtime Inspection & Monitoring)" system, a drone-based solution that enables unmanned measurement of the tunnel face in mountain tunneling projects. The system acquires high-precision point cloud data with absolute coordinates in real-time from a drone that magnetically attaches to steel supports near the tunnel face. This allows measurement tasks to be completed without construction personnel entering the vicinity of the tunnel face, dramatically improving safety.
In mountain tunneling, the area near the tunnel face is susceptible to rockfalls, a phenomenon known as "spalling," which can cause serious accidents. Despite efforts, the frequency of such incidents has plateaued in recent years, and it is still common practice to set up tripods in front of the tunnel face for measurements. This has created an urgent need for a fully unmanned measurement solution.
The Perch-RIM system consists of a drone equipped with an electropermanent magnet and LiDAR (a laser sensor), along with a total station that measures the drone's absolute coordinates. During measurement, the drone is first flown from a safe distance and magnetically attaches to the top of a steel support near the tunnel face. Next, a total station positioned behind the face acquires the drone's 3D coordinates. Finally, the drone's LiDAR sensor captures a 3D point cloud of the tunnel face. By combining both sets of coordinate data, the system calculates the precise absolute coordinates of the tunnel face geometry.
The primary benefit of this method is the elimination of risks associated with spalling accidents, as workers no longer need to enter the area near the tunnel face. Additionally, it enables quantitative evaluation of excavation accuracy, such as over-breaks, using absolute coordinates. The significant reduction in work time also contributes to optimized personnel allocation, shorter construction periods, and ultimately, cost savings. Furthermore, by utilizing the drone's standard on-board camera, Perch-RIM can be extended to various other tasks, including remote tunnel patrols, face monitoring, and environmental monitoring for dust and hazardous gases.
The system has already undergone field tests and its effectiveness has been confirmed at sites including the Shin-Kobotoke Tunnel on the Chuo Expressway, the Mihirayama Tunnel on the Yonago Expressway, and the Oshima Tunnel (Kami-Futamata section) of the Hokkaido Shinkansen. The developers plan to continue field demonstrations at construction sites and promote further automation and remote operation for tasks near the tunnel face.
In this development collaboration, Shimizu Corporation was responsible for the overall system concept and evaluation, Enzan-Kobo developed the 3D point cloud measurement software, Shrewd-Sekkei handled the drone system design, and Associate Professor Yoshiyuki Azuma of the Department of Robotics at Osaka Institute of Technology supervised the entire system.
In mountain tunneling, the area near the tunnel face is susceptible to rockfalls, a phenomenon known as "spalling," which can cause serious accidents. Despite efforts, the frequency of such incidents has plateaued in recent years, and it is still common practice to set up tripods in front of the tunnel face for measurements. This has created an urgent need for a fully unmanned measurement solution.
The Perch-RIM system consists of a drone equipped with an electropermanent magnet and LiDAR (a laser sensor), along with a total station that measures the drone's absolute coordinates. During measurement, the drone is first flown from a safe distance and magnetically attaches to the top of a steel support near the tunnel face. Next, a total station positioned behind the face acquires the drone's 3D coordinates. Finally, the drone's LiDAR sensor captures a 3D point cloud of the tunnel face. By combining both sets of coordinate data, the system calculates the precise absolute coordinates of the tunnel face geometry.
The primary benefit of this method is the elimination of risks associated with spalling accidents, as workers no longer need to enter the area near the tunnel face. Additionally, it enables quantitative evaluation of excavation accuracy, such as over-breaks, using absolute coordinates. The significant reduction in work time also contributes to optimized personnel allocation, shorter construction periods, and ultimately, cost savings. Furthermore, by utilizing the drone's standard on-board camera, Perch-RIM can be extended to various other tasks, including remote tunnel patrols, face monitoring, and environmental monitoring for dust and hazardous gases.
The system has already undergone field tests and its effectiveness has been confirmed at sites including the Shin-Kobotoke Tunnel on the Chuo Expressway, the Mihirayama Tunnel on the Yonago Expressway, and the Oshima Tunnel (Kami-Futamata section) of the Hokkaido Shinkansen. The developers plan to continue field demonstrations at construction sites and promote further automation and remote operation for tasks near the tunnel face.
In this development collaboration, Shimizu Corporation was responsible for the overall system concept and evaluation, Enzan-Kobo developed the 3D point cloud measurement software, Shrewd-Sekkei handled the drone system design, and Associate Professor Yoshiyuki Azuma of the Department of Robotics at Osaka Institute of Technology supervised the entire system.