Dubbed ‘Ooredoo Rescue’, the project utilises a solar-powered buoy that alerts a drone once it detects an emergency such as drowning incidents. Tech startup n-GON has proposed to deploy as much as 30 buoys around the country to assist the coast guard in monitoring marine activities.
n-GON CEO Amr Abdelhady said Ooredoo is sponsoring the buoys, which will maximise the strength of the telecommunications company’s 4G network via the Ooredoo Supernet to communicate with the rescue drone and command control centre.
The buoy, 5m in diameter, is equipped with infra-red sensors, cameras, and night vision cameras. Once it detects an emergency within its range, the buoy will send a distress signal to the command control centre at the Ministry of Interior (MoI), which will receive a live video of the incident before the drone is deployed.
The drone is equipped with an inflatable life raft, which will be released once it reaches the victim. After deploying the life raft, the drone will return to the command control centre to get another life raft. It will then return and land on the buoy, which is equipped with a wireless charging station and a water turbine, Abdelhady explained.
“We have signed an agreement with Ooredoo, and we are the first Qatari drone startup to present this type of project. Ooredoo is sponsoring the buoy by providing Wi-Fi connectivity to the drone and the buoy via the Ooredoo Supernet,” Abdelhady told Gulf Times.
Next month, Abdelhady said n-GON will work on the proof of concept with the MoI, which will identify the coastal areas where the buoys would be deployed. The proposed target date to launch the project would be “in the beginning of 2018,” he said.
“We are currently waiting for approvals from the MoI and discussions are still ongoing before the project goes online,” he said.
Citing statistics from the World Health Organisation, Abdelhady said there are at least 15 drowning incidents around the Gulf region per year. “The ‘Ooredoo Rescue’ project could help minimise these incidents,” he said, adding that the proposed Phase 2 of the project is geared towards border patrol and anti-smuggling operations.
“Currently, the drone is manufactured in the UK but we are planning to start manufacturing it in Qatar very soon,” he added.
‘Ooredoo Rescue’ is among the latest technologies showcased at the Ooredoo booth during ‘Qitcom 2017’, which concludes today (March 8).
Aside from showcasing its data experience leadership with a range of advanced solutions, Ooredoo presented its 5G technology, data centre and cybersecurity solutions, smart stadium concepts, the latest mHealth and connected home technologies, and smart technology for residences in Qatar.
Shah A M Kamaly, assistant director – Ideation Management at Ooredoo, told Gulf Times that Ooredoo’s ‘Connected Health’ and ‘Smart Screening System’ would help enhance healthcare and medical services in Qatar.
n-GON CEO Amr Abdelhady presents the drone used for the 'Ooredoo Rescue' project during 'Qitcom 2017'. PICTURE: Jayan Orma.
A life-saving drone project developed by a Qatari startup aims to revolutionise emergency and rescue operations, specifically near coastal areas around Qatar, using state-of-the-art connectivity solutions from Ooredoo.
