The World Drone Competition is a competition in which research and development of unmanned aerial vehicles are carried out all over the world, and they are utilized not only for industrial purposes, but also for disaster response and are beneficial for saving lives. This competition is co-sponsored by IFAC that has made significant contributions to the advancement of scientific and technological activities in the field of automated control. Every three years IFAC will hold The IFAC World Congress which is the largest event in the field of control science and technology around the world.

SkyScanner is a group of enthusiastic engineering students from Universiti Sains Malaysia, who have been selected to represent Malaysia in a World Drone Competition. The competition is scheduled to take place in Yokohama, Japan, from July 10 to July 13, as part of the 22nd IFAC global conference. Comprised mostly of aerospace engineering students, the team exudes a great deal of passion for the UAV industry, which strengthens their resilience in the face of challenges. The team consists of seven third-year students pursuing their Aerospace Engineering bachelor's degrees, along with two advisors, Ir. Dr. Ahmad Faizul Bin Hawary and Mr. Mohamad Zihad Bin Mahmud. The primary advisor brings valuable expertise from the robot and automation industries, while the technical advisor contributes experience as a drone system developer.

Currently, the students are actively fundraising and reaching out to potential sponsors to secure financial support for their participation of the competition in July. Their objective is to gather a total amount of RM94,500. As of today, they have successfully raised RM10,540.

The team aims to enhance the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV sector in Malaysia and promote the country's reputation internationally. They envision their participation in the World Drone Competition as a means to generate interest among younger generations and set an example for them while showcasing the advancements achieved by the Malaysian UAV industry at the same time.

Text : Pn Siti Hajar Mohd Sani   Foto : Muhammad Azwan Nasirudin