Students work on the drone at the university in the capital Ankara, Turkey, March 1, 2022. (DHA PHOTO)
Five women studying engineering came together to develop an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that is hard to detect and can be used both in border security and as an early warning system for forest fires.
Young women from the University of Turkish Aeronautical Association's (THK) Mechanical Engineering Department in the capital Ankara plan to showcase their design in the upcoming Teknofest. This major tech event allows the youth to demonstrate their talents in technology.
The hybrid drone has a flight time of six hours and its transparent structure keeps it almost invisible. It can carry a helium-filled balloon and is covered with polyvinyl chloride. The team – mechanical engineering sophomores Rabia Tuana Atak and Şeymanur Sırtlı, electrical-electronics engineering sophomore Beyza Nur Büyükyaprak, mechatronics junior Duygu Nur Kibar and computer engineering sophomore Ümmühan Şahin – also installed a battery on the drone to power it.
Atak told Demirören News Agency (DHA) on Tuesday that they were motivated to show "Turkish women’s skills" and followed the famous saying of modern Turkey’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, that the "future is in the skies."
"The helium balloon allows the drone to save on battery life and thus gives it a longer flight time. Existing electric multicopters cannot fly beyond 55 minutes," she said.
Turkey has made a name in the defense industry in recent years thanks to Turkish company Baykar’s Bayraktar UAVs, which succeeded both domestically and for international export, inspiring more youth to take an interest in the development of drones and similar vehicles.
