As Great Wall of China "crumbles", hi-tech drones deployed to bolster conservation

China, home to the second largest number of World Heritage Sites, is getting some hi-tech help from drones to bolster conservation efforts at the "crumbling" Jiankou section of its Great Wall. Used in logistics, transport and agriculture, the deployment of the remote-controlled flying machines in heritage conservation marks a further use of the advanced technology in the country.

Read: Cut Off From The World, An Indian Island Remains A Mystery

Thousands of miles long and more than 2,000 years old in some places, as much as 30 percent of the wall "lies crumbling into ruins" as it is slowly reclaimed by the natural world. To reach some of the most vulnerable sections of the ancient wall - deteriorating portions that people have been completely cut off from or that remain too dangerous to traverse - Chinese authorities have deployed the drones for accessing those areas. 

The drones have allowed Chinese authorities to map and measure sections of the wall, offering precise data that is already being used to rehabilitate a structure that is widely recognized as one of mankind's greatest feats of engineering. 

Read: Leaning Tower Of Pisa Straightens Slightly, Experts Says Landmark Finally Stable After 900 Years

Data collected by the drones has helped workers build support structures for vulnerable sections of the wall. In May, the South China Morning Post reported that Intel's Falcon 8+ drones were being used to capture "high-definition three-dimensional images" of the Jiankou section of the wall, a badly weathered stretch constructed during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) that sits about 50 miles north of Beijing.

Zhao Peng, a Great Wall architect, told a news agency that the effort is far more complicated than merely reinforcing old walls with new stone and concrete.

"Some sections of the Great Wall are very dangerous," Peng said. "Using drones, we can measure lengths and undulations. It's such a complex structure. We need to study arrow holes, battlements, floor designs and even lime content."

Read: Standing Cabins And No Passports - 5 Ways The Future Will Change Flying