The Representative

India's Youth News Tank

Here’s how pineapples are helping drones to fly

2 min read
Pineapple Drones

A project headed by a professor of Malaysian University successfully finds a sustainable way to transform pineapple waste into drones.

About the project

The project started in 2017 before which the leaves of pineapple which is waste was discarded. The project was started and headed by Prof. Mohamed Thariq Hameed Sultan of Malaysia’s Putra University, for the waste generated by the farmers in Hulu Langat, 65 km from Kuala Lumpur. They transform the fiber found in leaves to make a strong material that can be used for aerospace applications majorly making a drone.

About the Drone

As mentioned by the professor the prototype has been able to fly about 1,000-meter (3,280 ft) which is more than the first drone produced by DJI (the world’s biggest drone manufacturer) DJI Phantom could fly only up to 500m (1640 ft). The prototype could stay in the air for 20 minutes which is equivalent to the average time a drone can spend in the air.

He believes that the biocomposite material gives the drone higher strength to weight ratio than those made of synthetic fibers. Being made from Pineapple leaves these drones will be way cheaper than the commercial ones and the disposal of the same will be a lot easier. The drone when damaged can be buried in the ground and will be degraded in two weeks. The ultimate idea of the team is to make bigger drones with sensors for agricultural as well as aerial inspection purposes.

Drone Market

The use of drones is increasing with time and the drone market is expected to grow to $42.8 billion by 2025 from $22.5 billion in 2020 with a CAGR of 13.8%. Such drones made out of biodegradable material will be a win-win situation for many as it will help the farmers to earn from the waste of pineapples, at the same time will help the drone industry to make drones available at a cheaper rate and lastly will be very beneficial for the environment as it is bio-degradable in nature and won’t pollute the environment.

Can this be the future of the drone market?

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