Inspired by Yemen drive, students create soldier rescue project at ADSF

Abu Dhabi - It took the Emirati students four months of research and three months of putting together materials to complete their project.

'Al Monqth' (the Arabic word for rescue) - an armband and drones system project which can track down lost soldiers or those facing problems in the battlefield - was inspired by the UAE military men's involvement in the war in Yemen, according to the Emirati student creators.
"Our military men sacrificing their lives to rescue and protect the people of Yemen made us come up with this life-saving system, which aims to give fast and efficient assistance to soldiers during the war," said Auhood Mohammed Al Jailani, one of the students.
The two students from Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi and UAE University, both aged 18, are among hundreds of innovators showcasing their science and innovation projects at the Abu Dhabi Science Festival (ADSF) that kicked off on Thursday. The festival will run until February 9.
Organised by the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (Adek), the ninth edition of the ADSF - part of the UAE Innovation Month - is being held at Al Bahar, Abu Dhabi Corniche, Al Jahili Park in the Al Ain region, and City Mall in the Al Dhafra region. The official opening of the ADSF also coincided with the launch of UAE Innovation Month activities for 2019, which was followed by a unique 'SkyDive' show, drones flying up to the skies, and a special display arranged by a group of students.
The young Emirati innovators participating in the Automotive Mechanic and Digital category said their Al Monqth project consists of two components - the armband and the drone.
"The armband works with two systems - the Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) and the Global Position System (GPS) - and pulse sensor," said Al Jailani. "The armband is used to track the heart signs, locate the soldier's location and send a message to the military base."
Zainab Mohammed Al Bahluli, the other student on the project, explained that the system can track the vital signs and the locations of soldiers. "The system is placed on the soldier's arm and once it detects anything abnormal in the vital signs, the system will send a signal to the military base, then officers at the military base can locate the closest drone and send it to the soldier's location," he said. "This project can provide new and sophisticated ways to help soldiers during their stay at military bases during the war."
According to Al Bahluli, their background research showed that some of the reasons for the late medical intervention to the soldiers in the war zone is the long distance between the battlefield or war zone and the military base, making it difficult for an injured soldier to walk, especially if they are bleeding after a bullet shot or having a chronic disease such as diabetes and asthma.
It took the Emirati students four months of research and three months of putting together materials to complete their project.
Sara Awad Issa Musallam, chairperson of Adek, said at the inauguration event that the science festival will instil a spirit of creativity, research, knowledge and practice to craft a new generation of scientists, innovators, and experts in the field of technology.
"The ADSF is one of the largest annual science festivals in the region, with exciting, interactive, and educational activities. The festival contributes to inspiring the rising generation in the fields of science, technology and innovation to facilitate knowledge transfer towards establishing a knowledge-based economy."
During this year's science festival, 100 innovators are presenting their projects, 20 signature innovations will be showcased and 70 workshops and scientific activities will be organised. About 19,200 students are expected to attend the festival.
About 6,500 students will be attending the 20 interactive workshops scheduled at Al Jahili Park in Al Ain, while 1,600 students are taking part in five interactive workshops in the Al Dhafra. A total of 120,000 visitors are expected in the three locations during the ten-day event.
ismail@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE
• Abu Dhabi