Expanding the Possibilities of Non-Destructive Testing with Cloud Integration: Connecting the Field and the Office with Cutting-Edge Technologies

Purpose of Non-Destructive Testing and On-Site Challenges

Non-destructive testing (NDT: Non-Destructive Testing) is an inspection technique for examining internal defects and degradation without damaging the target object. It is widely used across industries, from social infrastructure such as bridges and tunnels to factory piping and tanks, and even power plants and plant equipment. Its purpose is to ensure the quality and safety of products and structures and to prevent serious accidents and failures before they occur. By detecting small defects early through regular inspections, repairs or replacements can be performed at the right time, enhancing equipment reliability. It is truly the unsung backbone supporting public safety.

However, on NDT sites there are various challenges related to organizing inspection data and reporting tasks. Traditionally, many inspectors wrote results on paper checklists at the site, saved photos on individual cameras or smartphones, and returned to the office to create reports. This largely manual workflow makes data entry errors and delays in information sharing more likely. As a result, anomalies may be overlooked or responses delayed, and valuable inspection data may not be fully utilized, increasing the risk of accidents.

For example, if measurements are written down incorrectly at the site or the correspondence between photos and inspection locations becomes unclear, extra effort is required later to recheck. Also, the task of transcribing paper records into a computer is highly inefficient; depending on the scale of the inspection, it is not uncommon for report completion to take several hours. Furthermore, even when an on-site defect is discovered and needs to be shared or discussed immediately with supervisors or stakeholders, conventional methods have relied on phone calls or emailing photo files, making real-time information sharing difficult.

Thus, inefficiencies in data management, report creation, and information sharing have been apparent in NDT fieldwork, leading to human error and delays. Amid increasing calls for maintenance of aging infrastructure and corporate DX (digital transformation), utilizing cloud integration and modern technologies to solve these on-site problems is attracting attention. In addition, the aging of experienced inspectors and labor shortages are becoming more serious, making DX (digitalization) an unavoidable trend to carry out inspections efficiently with limited personnel.

How Cloud Integration Transforms NDT Operations

Integrating cloud technology into NDT fieldwork dramatically changes the traditionally analog-centric workflow. By enabling data to be saved and shared on the cloud directly from the field, rapid information transmission and efficient data management become possible, ultimately improving inspection quality. The main benefits are summarized below.

• Real-time sharing between field and office: When inspection results are entered from a tablet or mobile device, they can be immediately checked from the office or other locations via the cloud. This allows anomalies or measurement data found on site to be shared on the spot, enabling supervisors or specialist technicians located remotely to grasp the situation in real time. In emergencies, instructions or decisions can be obtained immediately, significantly speeding up responses. It also supports “remote on-site inspection,” enabling results to be shared online with distant clients or regulatory authorities. This eliminates the need for long travel times for on-site attendance, reducing time and costs for everyone involved in inspections.

• Centralized management and accumulation of inspection data: Aggregating data on the cloud consolidates information that was previously scattered across inspections. Photos, measurement values, and report drafts are all stored in the cloud, allowing all stakeholders to access the latest information. Past inspection histories can be easily searched and referenced, so queries like “What was the previous measurement for that equipment?” can be answered quickly. With centralized data management and automatic backups, the risk of data loss due to misplaced paper documents or PC failures is also reduced.

• Automation and streamlining of report creation: Cloud-integrated systems can automatically generate reports based on inputs made in the field. If inspection items and judgment results are templated in advance, reports formatted to the required layout are almost complete as soon as the field data is entered. Staff then only need to make minor edits or add comments, greatly reducing the need to create reports from scratch in Word or Excel. One NDT company reported achieving approximately a 90% reduction in work time after implementing a proprietary cloud system (where creating a single inspection report previously took over five hours but was completed in under an hour after the system’s introduction). Automation also reduces human error and ensures consistently high-quality reports in a short time.

In these ways, cloud integration fundamentally streamlines NDT workflows and removes the gap between field and office. Inspectors can concentrate on the actual inspection work, while managers and stakeholders can timely grasp field conditions, enabling organization-wide improvements in productivity and safety. Moreover, with drawings and past data shared on the cloud, inspectors can move directly to the next task without returning to the office, shortening travel time and enabling data review from home (telework), contributing to workstyle reform. Paperless records also reduce paper consumption, lowering environmental impact and contributing to SDGs.

Key Points for Applying Cloud Integration in the Field: Automatic Data Linking, Coordinate Management, and AR Integration

To operate technologies that connect the cloud and the field effectively, it is important not only to share data but to enhance on-site usability. Combining the latest technologies—such as mechanisms that automatically link photos and measurement data, high-precision location information, and AR (augmented reality) for information display—advances prevention of missed records and visualization of information at the site.

• Automatic linking of captured data: Establish systems where photos taken during inspection and entered results are automatically linked to the corresponding inspection items and equipment information. For example, if inspectors select an equipment list or inspection location on a drawing within an inspection app on a tablet before taking a photo, that image will automatically record metadata indicating not only the date and time but also “which equipment/part the photo is of.” This eliminates the need to name files or sort photos later, preventing linking errors during report creation. Some implementations use QR codes affixed to inspection targets read by devices to link records, making accurate associations easy for anyone. This also saves time searching for photos after inspection, allowing a smooth transition to the next task.

• High-precision coordinate management: By integrating GPS or positioning technologies with the cloud, inspection data can be augmented with latitude and longitude coordinates. This is especially important for inspections over large areas, such as bridges or pipelines, where it is crucial to record precisely where each measurement point is located on a map. Recently, centimeter-level high-precision positioning called RTK-GNSS has become easily accessible; using it enables inspection points to be pinpointed within an error margin of a few centimeters. Plotting inspection results on cloud-based maps or drawings allows immediate visualization of anomaly distributions and enables accurate identification and comparison of the same points during future re-inspections.

• AR (augmented reality) for on-site information display: AR technology that overlays cloud-stored inspection information onto the camera view of a tablet or smartphone is also powerful in the field. For example, pointing a camera at an inspection target can display markers overlaid on the actual object showing drawings or past damage locations stored in the cloud. This makes it clear at a glance “where to inspect” without comparing paper drawings. Displaying recorded anomaly locations or measurement data in AR over the real object after inspection allows intuitive confirmation as if being on-site while remaining in the office. AR is also valuable for training, preserving veteran knowledge as digital information that next-generation inspectors can reference on site. Additionally, AR-capable smart glasses recently introduced allow workers to view necessary information hands-free, enabling safer and more efficient inspections.

Incorporating these technologies into field processes improves prevention of missed inspection data and deepens understanding. Records become easy for anyone to interpret, smoothing team information sharing and strengthening the link between field and office.

Expanding Cloud Use Cases and the Future of NDT

Initiatives using cloud and digital technologies in NDT are already producing results across various fields. Below are several cases.

• Social infrastructure (bridges, tunnels, roads, etc.): For periodic inspections of bridges and tunnels, efforts are underway to centrally manage photos of cracks and concrete deterioration taken on tablets and share them with all stakeholders via the cloud. Plotting inspection data on maps to visualize deterioration locations and comparing past and present inspection results on the cloud helps accurately identify areas in need of repair. On roads, systems that measure pavement cracks and rutting while driving—using specialized measurement vehicles or smartphone-mounted sensors—and send results to the cloud for analysis and mapping are beginning to be introduced to efficiently prioritize repairs. Advanced examples also include using drones and 3D laser scanners to capture point clouds of entire bridges, storing those data in the cloud to monitor aging.

• Plant equipment and piping: In inspections of factory and power plant piping, wall thickness measurements and corrosion progression are accumulated in cloud databases and displayed as graphs to support preventive maintenance. Some systems automatically notify stakeholders via the cloud when measurements exceed preset thresholds to prevent missed anomalies. Vast plants contain huge numbers of inspection points for pipes and tanks, but combining coordinate information and the cloud makes it possible to accurately record which equipment and which position were inspected. Experiments using AR to visually highlight inspection points within complex piping networks aim to create environments where inspections can be carried out without omissions even by non-experts.

• Buildings and facilities: Digitalization has spread to building and facility inspections. For exterior wall surveys, recording crack locations directly on drawings on a tablet and sharing that information in the cloud enables contractors and building owners to immediately plan repairs. In equipment inspections, IoT sensors and periodic inspection data are being centrally managed on the cloud, and alert systems that notify responsible personnel immediately upon detecting abnormal values are being put in place.

• Energy (solar, wind, power infrastructure): Large-scale solar power plants have practical systems where drones equipped with infrared cameras automatically detect hotspot (abnormal heating) panels and instantly send images via the cloud to identify faulty panels. Searching for defects among tens of thousands of panels across vast sites has become fast and efficient with cloud and AI analysis. For wind turbines and transmission lines—where high-altitude work is involved—camera footage from inspectors’ helmets is shared via the cloud so that specialists in a ground control room can provide remote support, balancing worker safety and accurate diagnosis. Advanced efforts such as AI analysis of blade images stored in the cloud to automatically detect microcracks are also progressing.

As these cases increase, the future image of NDT is changing significantly. Further DX centered on the cloud is expected. For example, image analysis and machine learning using AI will progress to automatically detect degradation patterns and early signs of anomalies from the massive inspection data accumulated on the cloud. The spread of high-speed communication technologies like 5G will allow high-definition video and large amounts of sensor data to be transmitted to the cloud without delay, enhancing the accuracy of remote diagnostics and real-time analysis. If AI increasingly instantaneously evaluates photos and waveform data collected by inspectors and sensors and shares results in the cloud, faster and more advanced diagnostics will become commonplace.

Integration with sensor networks and digital twins is also anticipated. IoT sensors installed on structures can monitor vibration and strain 24/7 and continuously send that data to the cloud, enabling predictive maintenance that detects abnormal signs in real time. Building a digital twin on the cloud that integrates 3D models (point clouds or CAD data) of equipment with inspection histories to reproduce and analyze state changes from past to present in a virtual space will also expand. Furthermore, with the development of autonomous drones and remotely operated robots, inspections of narrow or high places difficult for humans to access are expected to be safely performed remotely.

Internationally, influenced by Industry 4.0, the concept of NDE 4.0 (the fourth-generation non-destructive evaluation) has been proposed in the NDT field. This movement aims to comprehensively leverage IoT, cloud, AI, AR, and other technologies to elevate the inspection process as a whole. In Japan, with initiatives such as the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism’s promotion of i-Construction and the growing demand for remote monitoring in infrastructure, NDT DX is expected to accelerate further. Standardization and regulatory development for digital recording of inspection data are also progressing, and cases where electronic inspection results are accepted as official reports are increasing. In the future, the know-how of skilled technicians and data will converge on the cloud, and humans and AI will collaborate to support safe, secure social infrastructure—such a new form of NDT will become reality.

Conclusion: Proposing Simple Adoption of Positioning with LRTK, AR Integration, and Point Cloud Recording for NDT DX

Cloud integration and digital technologies are transforming NDT fieldwork. Systems that reduce conventional effort and errors while connecting the field and office in real time will become the standard that balances safety and efficiency. One solution contributing to this realization is the use of LRTK.

LRTK is a compact high-precision GNSS device that attaches to smartphones or tablets and can reduce positioning measurement errors to the centimeter level. For example, attaching an LRTK device to an iPhone and using a dedicated app can immediately add high-precision coordinates to photos and measurement data captured on site. This enables anyone to easily perform previously difficult tasks such as “accurately recording the location for each photo” and “plotting anomalies on a map.” Combined with a smartphone’s built-in LiDAR sensor to acquire 3D point clouds, the point cloud data can include absolute coordinates with positioning errors of only a few centimeters from the outset. The acquired point clouds and inspection results can also be overlaid in AR for on-site confirmation. With LRTK, precise positioning and AR-based site visualization that previously required specialized surveying equipment and advanced skills can be realized with a single smartphone. The LRTK device, weighing about 125 g and 13 mm thick, snaps onto a phone with a dedicated case and has a built-in battery, so no cables are needed. Its lightweight, compact design makes it easy to carry on site, greatly reducing the burden of bringing conventional surveying equipment.

When promoting NDT DX, what matters is how quickly technologies that are “usable in the field” can be introduced. LRTK is a prime example and is attracting attention as a way to add high-precision positioning and digital records without hindering field work. Faced with growing aging infrastructure and labor shortages, actively adopting advanced technologies such as LRTK will be key to significantly expanding the possibilities of NDT. We propose NDT DX that seamlessly connects field and office through solutions combining cloud integration and devices like LRTK. Let us leverage the cloud and the latest technologies to jointly forge the future of non-destructive testing.