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[This is a sponsored article with MRANTI.]
As 2022 attracts to a detailed with us within the midst of monsoon season, one can’t assist however assume again to what occurred throughout 2021’s year-end holidays. It was one of many worst floods Malaysia had skilled in years, which resulted in general losses of RM6.1 billion, in keeping with the Department of Statistics.
Starting with heavy rains on December 16, the storm continued with out an finish in sight for a number of days. This resulted in floods that wrecked properties and automobiles, leaving folks stranded, lacking, and deceased, with hundreds displaced.
It obtained so dangerous that it took momentous efforts from the federal government, together with the private and non-private sectors to increase assist medically, by donations and fundraising efforts, in addition to volunteer-driven clean-ups.
Malaysia is now higher ready, and flood hotspots have been recognized nationwide. The record consists of districts like Selangor’s Klang, Hulu Langat, and Sepang, Negeri Sembilan’s Jempol, Sarawak’s Miri, Johor’s Batu Pahat and Segamat, and plenty of extra.
Despite the federal government’s finest efforts, which embody allocating RM174 million to the National Disaster Relief Fund throughout Budget 2023, pure disasters can nonetheless be unpredictable.
Taking the learnings from final 12 months’s floods, Malaysian Research Accelerator for Technology and Innovation (MRANTI) will assist facilitate flood aid efforts alongside first responders.
These events will accomplish that by the Pasukan Tindakan Kecemasan Khas Dron (PTK2Dron) initiative.
PTK2Dron was arrange by the Ministry of Technology, Science, and Technology (MOSTI) in 2021, after the flood that occurred in Sri Muda and Hulu Langat, Selangor.
The flood aid initiative is working with drone and tech corporations reviewed and accredited by the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM), and Department of Survey and Mapping (JUPEM).
Those chosen have been assigned to conduct surveillance, monitoring, and supply providers in designated flood zones all through Malaysia.
Here are 5 such corporations that have been vetted based mostly on their capabilities, gear readiness, and observe file in conducting initiatives inside comparable circumstances.
1. Aerodyne Group (Aerodyne): Mapping providers
Founded in 2014, Aerodyne now has a presence in 32 nations globally, together with Australia, the US, UAE, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, and Indonesia.
Aerodyne was an early companion of MRANTI’s through the December 2021 flood aid in Sri Muda, and Hulu Langat, Selangor.
At the time, the corporate was engaged by the Selangor state authorities to help in monitoring floods within the state. These partnerships finally led to the beginning of PTK2Dron.
Working with native authorities, Aerodyne is tasked with mapping catastrophe areas utilizing geospatial intelligence for PTK2Dron 2022.
This tech offers essential data comparable to monitoring directional water move and receding water ranges to develop efficient evacuation plans.
It’s useful because the drones can seize footage in locations that helicopters can not go, like air areas decrease to the bottom, nearer to buildings, and between bushes. Drones are additionally sooner to deploy and price lots lower than helicopters.
Aerodyne’s drones are outfitted with varied sensors comparable to RGB, infrared, and thermal ones to establish victims whether or not day or evening, serving to rescuers know they’re coming into the suitable areas.
“With additional input through this flood aid mission, our AI can provide insights and intelligence with higher accuracy,” stated Aerodyne’s CEO and founder, Kamarul A Muhamed on how this initiative may help in furthering the corporate’s tech.
“This will assist in future disaster management such as predicting water flow direction prediction and even predicting possible disasters.”
2. H-Drones & Robotics (HDR): Underwater search and rescue
Established in December 2020, HDR develops drones and different robotics tech like underwater robots, in any other case referred to as Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs).
While HDR has drones that present providers like 3D mapping and surveying to its shoppers, MRANTI has assigned the corporate to deploy its ROVs for the PTK2Dron initiative.
These ROVs will seek for victims in underwater environments that will in any other case be dangerous and too constricted for human divers to navigate.
Without placing any lives at stake, scouting actions might be completed from a distance utilizing the underwater robots’ sonars and cameras.
Furthermore, the ROVs can journey in water depths of as much as 150m, fixing the problem of divers who can solely attain 30m.
3. Hidrokinetik Technologies Sdn Bhd (Hidrokinetik): Unmanned boats for survivor detection, towing, and delivering provides
Hidrokinetik was based in 2019 for designing, manufacturing, and working its line of Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs), AKA autonomous boats.
Its USVs are primarily used to seek out safer and extra environment friendly options to traditional hydrographic surveys (finding out our bodies of water to see what the “floor” seems like).
The workforce was granted permission by DBKL to make use of the Metropolitan Lake in Kepong as a check mattress for his or her tech.
Other than utilizing its hydrographic surveying tech to monitor adjustments within the water for PTK2Dron, Hidrokinetik’s unmanned boats will also be concerned in operations comparable to:
- Towing;
- Survivor detection;
- Providing victims with medical provides, meals, and different requirements;
- Acting as an onboard climate station and radar to offer meteorological knowledge, if required.
“Our expertise in marine robotics and surveying systems allows us to enhance a small portable vessel (boat) in moving remotely or autonomously with precision while transmitting sizeable real-time data,” defined Mirza Hamza, CTO of Hidrokinetik.
In addition, Hidrokinetik’s USVs have a customisable payload, giving its boats the power to include surveillance know-how and deploy its USVs into hazardous flood areas to seek for survivors.
Mirza shared that collaborating in PTK2Dron might encourage Hidrokinetik’s workforce in rolling out a specialised search and rescue USV fleet to reply emergency calls, ought to the nation want it.
4. KANZU Research (KANZU): Geotagging areas of susceptible teams to prioritise assist
KANZU was established by Dr. Noralfishah Sulaiman (Dr. Nora) in September 2014. It was based as a scientific analysis group below Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia’s Department of Real Estate, Faculty of Technology Management and Business.
Other than conducting R&D actions in property and amenities administration, KANZU additionally seems into Disaster Management and Digital Disaster Risk Reduction (D-DRR) options.
One of KANZU’s D-DRR programmes, MOBILISE, can be utilized for the PTK2Dron initiative. To put it briefly, MOBILISE is a digital infrastructure that helps catastrophe administration businesses cut back the influence of floods, landslides, earthquakes, and the like, on communities.
MOBILISE can be utilized in PTK2Dron’s flood simulation workout routines to organize first-response groups, businesses, and communities within the occasion of actual disasters.
The tech also can geotag the areas of susceptible people just like the aged, bedridden, disabled folks, kids, and pregnant girls.
This can help businesses in dispatching assist rapidly throughout search and rescue efforts, in addition to delivering drugs to those teams through the floods.
5. Meraque: Drone deliveries for drugs and meals
Founded in 2017, Meraque started as a UAV operator in Facilities Management Building Services. The firm has since ventured into different industries like agriculture, telecommunications, leisure, and logistics.
Like Aerodyne, this isn’t Meraque’s first foray in aiding with flood aid efforts. Previously, its workforce collaborated with Pharmaniaga and the Ministry of Health of Malaysia to ship medical provides in flooded areas through its Drone Delivery Services.
Joining PTK2Dron, Meraque has the capabilities for surveillance, together with delivering items and provides of as much as a 7kg payload.
Based on the efficiency and outcomes from this mission, Meraque’s workforce will use their findings to enhance their processes and tech for future initiatives.
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Malaysians are an empathetic bunch, and it’s a part of our nature to assist in occasions of hassle. This is particularly so for these already outfitted with the sources to ship assist.
However, with helicopters and pre-assigned drones being dispatched, unauthorised UAVs from the general public—irrespective of how well-intentioned—might jeopardise aid efforts.
Hobbyists who nonetheless want to practise their flying can accomplish that, however are suggested to keep away from no-fly zones and flooded areas all through the period of the PTK2Dron initiative in order that aid efforts are usually not disrupted. Take observe that there aren’t any particular dates all through the aid operations, as they’re completed when catastrophe calls.
Hence, hobbyists are suggested to watch social media updates from the official account of Malaysia’s National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA).
Meanwhile, those that want to actively assist in these efforts can get immediately in contact with MRANTI. The company is trying to hear the general public’s sensible solutions and options that may match into the image for current and future flood aid operations.
- Connect with MRANTI’s drone division right here.
- Read different articles we’ve written about drone-tech right here.
Featured Image Credit: Meraque
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