3 ABU Students, Called the 3 Idiots built a drone plane
– Some students of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria designed a plane as their final year project
– The drone is designed from local materials
– Shettima Ali Kyari, Aliyu Tanimu Muhammad, Abdurrazak Abdurraheem are Physics students from ABU Zaria
Few weeks back, we reported a story of an ABU Zaria student who built a drone as his final
year project. Muhammad Malumfashi from NAIJ Hausa met and interviewed this young
guy, Shettima Kyari Ali exclusively.
Shettima Kyari Ali told NAIJ
that the drone is a group project, along others-Aliyu Tanimu Muhammad and Abdurrazak
Abdurraheem, all final year Physics students at A.B.U Zaria, they are popularly
referred to as ‘3 Idiots’ among colleagues. Shettima was in charge of the
electric components of the drone; Circuits, motor, wiring etc-Shettima has a
Diploma in Electrical Engr. ‘ATM’ was responsible for Material Engr. and
construction, while Abdurrazak took part in the Aerodynamics and most
Theoretical aspects. One unique thing about this particular drone project is
that most of its parts were constructed locally; from the body, wings, tyres
and all. The wings were made from local material and a very light wooden shaft
beneath. The tyres were made from the can of ‘Coca-Cola’ with a foam round. Only the Engine; a DC Moto
Engine-Radio DC and some few components were exceptions.
Since when Shettima and his
group of friends were in their 3rd year, he thought of building a
drone, when he informed the other 2
idiots-ATM and Abdul, they said it should be done. Initially they wanted
building a Security Surveillance drone for the University; drone with a camera,
microphone and a smoke detector all monitored in a control room. That was
during his IT course at the Flight Maintenance Dept., Aviation School
Zaria-along with his friend, Aliyu Tanimu Muhammad ‘ATM’. However, due to some
factors, Shettima and co. didn’t build that, but were successful in flying a
drone; which they called HopeForChibokGirls. The drone was flight-tested at the
University gymnastics and Stadium complex.
Shettima who’s a Kanuri,
must have opted for the name, HopeForChibokGirls, he believed students like
them can make their own efforts in rescuing these girls and other thousands
abducted in the North East. Shettima said that’s their own way of saying
ChangeBeginsWithMe, instead of more than just calling for the BBOG, Shettima
believed with technology, the girls can be found, no matter what since they are
still alive. HopeForChibokGirls
Mr. Chiwaitalu Tijjani O.,
an Aviation Instructor had helped Shettima and co. in designing this drone as
well as Malam Tijjani from Mechatronics Laboratory in the Department of
Electrical Engineering of A.B.U Zaria, Shettima said they contributed a lot in
this project. With his Project supervisor; Dr AA AbdelMalik and the Head Department
of Physics; Dr YI Zakari. Shettima’s father, an Engineer at the College of
Aviation assured him that the Project will be possible from the beginning.
During an excursion to Nig. Com Sat, Shettima learned that it was possible to
use drones for other humanitarian reasons, he since then started to plan on
designing one. Shettima would like to see this work advance; a drone with a
live-camera for taking images and locating GPS, microphone and a smoke detector
that triggers alarm to the control station, one which would fly from Zaria to
Kaduna.
Muhammad Malumfashi wrote this from Zaria, Kaduna State
He is on Twitter @Ya_waliyyi
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