Phnom Penh, Sept. 21 (BUS): Initially inspired by their desire to beat the notorious traffic in their city, a group of Cambodian students have built a prototype drone that they hope can eventually be used to transport people around Phnom Penh and even help in combat . fires.
With eight propellers and the use of a school chair for the pilot’s seat, the drone was developed by students at the National Polytechnic Institute of Cambodia (NPIC) on the outskirts of the capital.
“The drone, when we see it flying the drone there is a lot of vibration but when I sit on it and fly… it becomes more stable and I get very excited,” said pilot Lone Vansyth, 21. Reuters reported that the drone.
“We wanted to solve some problems for our community by making a drone and… inventing drones for firefighters,” he said, noting how they hoped, for example, to get to the upper floors of the building to fetch a hose. The fire truck couldn’t get through.
The prototype could carry a pilot weighing up to 60 kg (132 lb) and fly for approximately 10 minutes for a distance of 1 km (0.6 mi). It took three years of research and development and cost about $20,000 to build.
While the team hopes it will eventually fly much higher, when the drone currently only climbs to 4 meters (13.1 ft).
Sarin Sereyvatha, Head of Research and Development at NPIC, said the project faced delays due to shutdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic and also due to the need to order components such as propellers and frame from abroad.
The team plans to improve the design to allow it to take on more weight, as well as fly farther and more stable at a higher level.
“In principle, if we make a drone, the cost is high but if we make it for sale in the market, the cost will come down,” said Sarin Sirivatha.
HF