6 Drones Designed To Do Good
From a drone that can detect and immediately repair oil, gas, chemical, or water pipeline leaks, to an autonomous underwater drone that helps survey coral reefs, here's a look at the winners and finalists of the recent UAE Drones for Good competition.
Despite reputations of being privacy-violating aerial menaces or remote-controlled killing machines, drones have potential to improve -- and even save -- people's lives. The participants in the UAE Drones for Good competition aimed to prove that.
Drones entered in the UAE competition, which was launched in 2014 by the United Arab Emirates government, were evaluated for innovative solutions in resolving problems or issues faced in the environment, health, social services, humanitarian aid, and a number of other categories.
The event, held in Dubai, initially had 1,017 projects submitted from 165 countries worldwide. But that group was paired down to 20 semi-finalists in mid-January and, of this group, six were named finalists during the first week of February. Over the course of Feb. 4 to Feb. 6, the finalists' drones were evaluated regarding whether they made the most of technology to create well-being in the community and serve humanity.
[Read more about how cities are using drones.]
"The world is witnessing rapid changes and new challenges every day which requires us to unify our efforts to employ modern technology to serve humanity," said Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, in a statement. "Innovative initiatives will enable us to create the best solutions to overcome hurdles across the path to progress and help achieve our aspirations."
From the group of six finalists, one winner was named the UAE Drones for Good National Champion, receiving a cash prize worth 1 million Arab Emirates Dirham (AED), or $272,260, and another was named the UAE Drones for Good International Champion, with a cash prize of $1 million.
Take a look at the winners and finalists of this international drone contest and let us know what you think. Do they change your perception of the flying machines? Do any of their uses completely surprise you? Let us know what you think in the comments area.
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Science teachers and their students can move classroom learning outdoors with the aid of FlyLab, a drone designed to help students carry out practical experiments in mathematics, physics, chemistry, and engineering. Rather than conducting these experiments in a lab or classroom, students step outside and control the FlyLab drone with their computer or electronic device.
ReefRover is a drone designed to be used in conjunction with the coral reef surveys conducted in the United Arab Emirates. The autonomous underwater drone, once activated and deployed, will determine its own path to take using a database of underwater sites. The ReefRover will scan the underwater landscape and upload its findings to research databases, such as CoralNet and dedicated ReefRover software.
Urban search and rescue is the name of the game for this drone, which also packs specialty sensors for sniffing out gas leaks and monitoring the environment before search and rescue teams go in. The drone can also locate disaster victims, as well as remotely monitor their vital signs. 4Front Robotics says its Navig8 drone can operate in tightly confined spaces and is highly maneuverable.
SenseLab's "phone-drone" SaveMe project allows users to attach their phone to the drone to carry out four functions in an emergency. The "find help" button will have the phone-drone fly to the last point where mobile service was available and call for help via SMS, email, or phone, and then provide directions to locate the user. The drone is also set up to relay stored medical information and needed prescriptions to a pharmacy, which will be alerted to the situation.
A third task the drone is designed to handle involves recording the scene of the catastrophe or attack and then transmitting the recorded data to a list of predefined contacts and authorities. And last, if any users become lost, the drone will help them figure out where they are by flying over the area and then returning with images and waypoints to help guide them out.
Buildrone was named UAE Drones for Good National Champion, giving the team a cash prize of 1 million Arab Emirates Dirham (AED), or $272,260. Buildrone, which competed under the construction category, was led by Mirko Kovac, a lecturer in the aeronautics department at the Imperial College London, and his team.
Buildrone's aerial robot detects oil, gas, chemical, or water pipeline leaks and then immediately repairs them on site. The drone has two chambers that hold the components to make liquid polyurethane foam. The components are then combined as the foam gets pumped out through a nozzle and onto the pipeline leak with the help of a manipulator arm. After the foam is applied, it takes approximately five minutes to expand and seal the leak.
Loon Copter scored the top prize in the UAE Drones for Good Award, landing the team a $1 million cash prize. The team from Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, is comprised of Osamah Rawashdeh, associate professor, Sean Simpson, engineer and entrepreneur, Hamzeh Alzubi, graduate student assistant, and Iyad Mansour, graduate student assistant.
The Loon Copter is a multi-rotor platform drone that can fly, float on water, and submerge like a submarine. The drone is designed for such tasks as underwater search, environmental monitoring, and inspecting structures underwater, at water level, and in the air. The Loon Copter team labels the drone as the world's first "multi-mode vehicle" with its ability to fly, float, and submerge.
A total of 20 semi-finalists were named in the UAE Drones for Good Award. From this group, the six finalists were named. Here are the other 14 teams that participated in this round:
Ocean Eyes: a visual marine navigation drone
ImiTec: an advanced airborne radiation mapping drone
Khalifa University: aircraft inspector drone
IORTA: 3D mapper drone
AUS SM1433: long-distance flying drone
Drones for Rural Development: dispenses sterile tsetse male flies to fight trypanosomosis
PrecisionHawk: drones detect Red Palm and Weevil infestations
Flare 2.0: drone for outdoor enthusiasts
Guide Drones for Blind Athletes: drone name says it all
Humanitas: emergency response drone
Romeo: drone to fight malaria transported by mosquitoes
Kwago: search and rescue drone
Qubba: monitors pollution in the sea
IFOR: drone to inspect solar farms
A total of 20 semi-finalists were named in the UAE Drones for Good Award. From this group, the six finalists were named. Here are the other 14 teams that participated in this round:
Ocean Eyes: a visual marine navigation drone
ImiTec: an advanced airborne radiation mapping drone
Khalifa University: aircraft inspector drone
IORTA: 3D mapper drone
AUS SM1433: long-distance flying drone
Drones for Rural Development: dispenses sterile tsetse male flies to fight trypanosomosis
PrecisionHawk: drones detect Red Palm and Weevil infestations
Flare 2.0: drone for outdoor enthusiasts
Guide Drones for Blind Athletes: drone name says it all
Humanitas: emergency response drone
Romeo: drone to fight malaria transported by mosquitoes
Kwago: search and rescue drone
Qubba: monitors pollution in the sea
IFOR: drone to inspect solar farms
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