(Singapore,13.03.2026) Today, NovaPeak, a unit of Singapore-listed engineering group ISDN Holdings Ltd. announced partnering with Panasonic R&D Center Singapore to expand an artificial intelligence platform designed to automate building inspections, as the construction industry increasingly adopts drones and machine learning to improve safety and efficiency.
The platform, LiveInspect.AI, developed by ISDN subsidiary NovaPeak, uses drones to capture high-resolution images of building facades and applies artificial intelligence to detect structural defects such as cracks and loose components.
The partnership aims to combine Panasonic’s AI engineering capabilities with NovaPeak’s field expertise to scale the technology into global markets.
“Drones can collect thousands of images during a single inspection,” said Eugene Choy, Managing Director of NovaPeak. “But the real challenge lies in analyzing the data. AI allows us to identify defects automatically and generate inspection reports much more efficiently, the quality data is more important.”
The system has already been deployed in Singapore, where NovaPeak has inspected more than 1,000 buildings and secured a contract valued at about S$1 million with the Housing & Development Board (HDB), Singapore’s public housing authority.
Singapore，A Highly Regulated Market
Singapore’s building sector offers a natural testing ground for the technology. Under the Periodic Facade Inspection (PFI) regime introduced by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA), buildings above a certain height must undergo facade inspections every seven years.
According to Teo Cher Koon, Managing Director and President of ISDN Holdings, the regulatory framework has created both a challenge and an opportunity for technology providers.
“The standards are strict, and not every drone operator can perform this type of inspection,” Teo said. “You need not only flight capability but also a deep understanding of building structures and inspection requirements.”
NovaPeak’s platform integrates drone data capture, AI defect detection and automated reporting into what the company calls a “unified inspection solution.”
Under the partnership, Panasonic will contribute advanced AI algorithms and software capabilities, while NovaPeak will provide field expertise and industry context, forming the foundation of the LiveInspect.AI platform.
The system uses artificial intelligence to analyze building facades, structural conditions and potential defects, significantly improving inspection efficiency while reducing the safety risks associated with manual high-rise inspections.
Dr Takeshi Ando, Managing Director of Panasonic R&D Centre Singapore, said this kind of accumulated industry knowledge is essential for artificial intelligence to move beyond the laboratory and into real-world applications.
“They don’t just have data — they understand what the data means,” he said. “AI is is meant to help the industry perform its work more safely and more efficiently.”
Choy said the collaboration reflects the increasing complexity of AI development, which requires both engineering expertise and large volumes of high-quality data.
“Many companies talk about AI, but the foundation is always data,” he said. “Collecting the right data in the right way is critical for training reliable models.”
From Inspection to Digital Twins
Looking ahead, ISDN sees the platform evolving beyond building inspections into broader applications in digital twin technology and predictive maintenance.
By combining drone imagery with building information models (BIM), the system could create detailed digital replicas of buildings, allowing managers to monitor structural conditions and predict maintenance needs.
“This is not just about inspection,” Teo said. “It’s about building a digital infrastructure for how buildings are managed in the future.”
