With the rapid development of the smart hydropower industry in the new era, the data of domestic demand monitoring and perception of hydropower stations are gradually complicated, and the traditional manual inspection has the problems of cumbersome process and low efficiency. This article aims to improve the informatization and intelligence level of hydropower station inspection work, realize the transformation from manual inspection to intelligent inspection, and build a unified data platform to achieve standardized management of production data throughout the plant. By integrating various technologies such as image recognition and video capture, a virtual inspection system based on 3D visualization has been developed to complete comprehensive, three-dimensional, and intelligent inspection of key elements in power plant equipment and public areas, and to provide early warning and alarm. The application of 3D virtual inspection system in hydropower station changes the traditional manual inspection mode, improves the efficiency and quality of inspection, saves labor cost, and improves the information and intelligent level of power station work.