Malaysian workforce turns pineapple waste products into disposable drone parts
Malaysian researchers are suffering from a method to transform the fibre within normally discarded pineapple leaves to produce a strong material that can be utilised to build the frames for unmanned aircraft, or drones.The project, headed by Professor Mohamed Thariq Hameed Sultan at Malaysia's Putra University, has been looking for sustainable uses for pineapple waste produced by farmers in Hulu Langat, a location about 65 km (40 kilometers) from Kuala Lumpur.
"We are transforming the leaf of the pineapple right into a fibre that can be utilised for aerospace program, basically inventing a drone," he advised Reuters at a workshop. Mohamed Thariq stated drones crafted from the bio-composite material had a higher strength-to-weight ratio than those created from synthetic fibres, and had been as well cheaper, lighter and better to get rid of.If the drone was damaged, the frame could be buried in the bottom and would degrade inside a fortnight, he said.
The prototype drones have been able to fly to a height around 1,000 metres (3,280 ft) and stay in the air for approximately 20 moments, he added.Ultimately, the research team hopes to create a larger drone to support bigger payloads, including imagery sensors, for agricultural purposes and aerial inspections. "Our role here's to help the market, the farmers, to improve their yield and make their jobs easier." said William Robert Alvisse of the Malaysian Unmanned Drones Activist Contemporary society, a non-governmental group assisting to style the drone and advising on the task.
Before the project launched in 2017, pineapple stems were discarded following the once-in-a-year harvest period, but farmers hope the drones project will inspire more innovation to get uses for the waste and raise incomes."With medical issue, the economy issue due to COVID-19, the society is normally desperate and there is no alternative to increase cash flow," said pineapple farmer Irwan Ismail.
