Malaysian researchers developed pineapple wastes into drone parts

Malaysian researchers have developed a method to transform the fibre found in normally discarded pineapple leaves, to make a strong material that can be used to build the frames for drones.

The project was launched in 2017 and is headed by Professor Mohamed Thariq Hameed Sultan at Malaysia's Putra University. The team has been trying to find sustainable uses for pineapple waste generated by farmers in Hulu Langat (65 km from Kuala Lumpur).

The project head said that drones made out of the bio-composite material had a higher strength-to-weight ratio than those made from synthetic fibres, and were also cheaper, lighter and easier to dispose of. If the drone was damaged, the frame could be buried in the ground and would degrade within two weeks. He also said, "the prototype drones have been able to fly to a height of about 1,000 metres (3,280 ft) and stay in the air for about 20 minutes".

The research team hopes to create a larger drone in order to accommodate more loads, including imagery sensors, for agricultural purposes and aerial inspections.

"Our role here is to help the industry, the farmers, to increase their yield and make their jobs much easier," said William Robert Alvisse of the Malaysian Unmanned Drones Activist Society, a non-governmental group helping to design the drone and advising on the project.

Source: Reuters

Written by Siddhant Sharma