Yesterday I came across a news that talked about bringing together the best minds to add innovation in drone technology. Studentinnovators of the UAE are pitching practical application like using drones to detecting the impact of climate change, national security, corrosion in piping, agriculture and commercial inspection.
Named as the Payload Design Challenge, it is a yearlong quest to find the brightest minds in the UAE. It is a joint programme conducted by Lockheed Martin and Mubadala Investment Company. Six teams from leading universities of the UAE are taking part in theUAE -UAS Payload Design Challenge.
Students contesting in the programmewill design, develop and integrate technology for Lockheed Martin’s Indago. An unmanned aerial system renowned for its endurance and adaptability during emergency response, national security, agriculture and commercial inspection.
The ultimate objective:
The contestants will be exposed to challenges that open the floodgates of their innovative thought process during the UAS Payload Design programme. The competition levels will help them in realizing their innovative ideas in surveillance drone technology into a reality. I believe the whole exercise envisions in bringing the brightest engineering minds of the UAE to light. Undoubtedly, they would come out with projects that will meet the core objective of UAE Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Payload Design Challenge.
The pioneering vision of the student innovators:
The views of some of contestants drew my attention and deserve a special mention. Astudent named TayammumAlkatheeri, a 20-year-old graduate is currently working on developing a drone for corrosion inspection. He said “Drones are very mobile and user-friendly so anyone can use them for any aerial surveillance purpose”.The promising young innovatoralso believes drones can be used to make things safer and faster.
Another 21 year oldaeronautical engineer from HCT, Mariam Al Nuaimi plans to use drone for the advantage the community. She has been exploringthe possibilities to use drones to collect water and electricity data from metres in houses. Mariam believes employing drones will minimize the complexities that involve in sending a technician to collect the meter readings. The young innovator said she is working hard to develop a payload to collect the data. The head of Lockheed Martin’s Innovation Centre at Masdar City and program head also emphasized the point. That is “The only thing that matters on any UAV is the payload,” and it is the right time we lay focus on this subject.
Fostering real innovation
According to Fatima Al Marzouqi, Mubadala, the head of education and training in aerospace, renewables and ICT, this grand initiative of fostering innovation is a part of Abu Dhabi 2020. A vision to create a knowledge-based economy. She strongly believes that the project will fill the gaps in the area of innovation in the UAE. So am I.
Looking forward to seeing the drones all over the Sky in making the UAE the best place on the earth.
-Kamal KishinLoungani