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The
project, headed by Professor Mohamed Thariq Hameed Sultan at
Malaysia's Putra University, has been trying to find sustainable
uses for pineapple waste generated by farmers in Hulu Langat, an
area about 65 km (40 miles) from Kuala Lumpur.
"We are transforming the leaf of the pineapple into a fibre that
can be used for aerospace application, basically inventing a
drone," he told Reuters at a workshop.
Mohamed Thariq said drones made out of the bio-composite
material had a higher strength-to-weight ratio than those made
from synthetic fibres, and were also cheaper, lighter and easier
to dispose of.
If the drone was damaged, the frame could be buried in the
ground and would degrade within two weeks, he said.
The prototype drones have been able to fly to a height of about
1,000 metres (3,280 ft) and stay in the air for about 20
minutes, he added.
Ultimately, the research team hopes to create a larger drone to
accommodate bigger payloads, including imagery sensors, for
agricultural purposes and aerial inspections.
"Our role here is to help the industry, the farmers, to increase
their yield and make their jobs much easier," said William
Robert Alvisse of the Malaysian Unmanned Drones Activist
Society, a non-governmental group helping to design the drone
and advising on the project.
Before the project launched in 2017, pineapple stems were
discarded after the once-in-a-year harvest period, but farmers
hope the drones project will encourage more innovation to find
uses for the waste and boost incomes.
"With the health issue, the economy problem due to COVID-19, the
society is desperate and there is no alternative to increase
income," said pineapple farmer Irwan Ismail.
(Writing by Angie Teo; Editing by Ed Davies)
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