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The Award, launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, aims to employ civilian applications of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) technology for improving people’s lives.
The three finalists in the International Competition are Loon Copter’s multi-rotor drone (USA); 4Front Robotics’ USAR Robot drones (Canada); and SenseLab’s SaveME drone (Greece).
The three finalists in the National Competition are Buildrone’s construction and repair aerial robot drone, ReefRover’s drone for studying underwater ecosystems; and FlyLab’s drone aimed at the education sector.
Speaking on the occasion, Saif Al Aleeli, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Museum of the Future Foundation and Coordinator General of the UAE Drones for Good Award, said: “Innovation is a key factor in building the future and using technology in the service of humanity, especially considering the increasing demand for efficient services in various sectors. The second UAE Drones for Good Award has become a major platform to host global innovators and launch the latest technological projects and innovations that offer services to improve the lives of human beings, and find solutions to some of the most critical issues facing the world today.”
Al Aleeli added: “The drones sector is certainly in its early stages but we are confident that it will evolve in the coming years as a major contributor to the world economy.”
International Competition
Loon Copter from the US scored 82.25% with its novel multi-rotor platform that is capable of aerial flight, on-water surface operation, as well as diving. The drone system combines into one vehicle the capabilities of traditional reconnaissance aircraft, watercraft, and submarines, and can be employed for surveying, search, and rescue missions.
4Front Robotics from Canada scored 81% with its Highly Maneuverable USAR Robot drones that can locate and rescue persons from buildings on fire, collapsed building, mines, or other urban and industrial entrapments. These drones have the capability to fly and navigate in highly confined spaces, and provide high resolution data in a matter of hours.
SenseLab from Greece scored 80.38% with its SaveME project that makes use of a smart phone that transforms into a drone to support people in emergency health conditions, especially those in situations when people are trapped, lost or wounded and in urgent need of assistance.
National Competition
Buildrone team scored 91.38% with its construction and repair aerial robot that detects damages and carries out repair tasks in hard-to-access environments. To carry out a repair, such as a leak in a pipeline, or a cracked road surface, or a leaking roof tile, the robot flies close to the damaged area and deposits a sealant material.
ReefRover team scored 74.63% with its drone that is capable of providing marine biology researchers, environmental monitoring agencies and science enthusiasts with new tools to effectively map, explore and study near-shore underwater ecosystems. The ReefRover drone can help increase the rate of coral reef data collection and better organize the data to make it more useful for research.
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