FUTA builds an Heliosat- Satellite+Drone
Drone Heliosat FUTA
The FUTA-Heliosat is not the normal Drone device. It is much more. It is actually a mini satellite with the additional advantage of landing on water while its sensors pick information and send directly to a ground station. It can climb to specific height while being remote controlled and directed to the task assigned to it. It can also serve as a normal drone for aerial surveillance or to capture sensation in the atmosphere, takes its reading and relates data back to ground Station for analysis. The journey to the FUTA-Heliosat started for Oluwaseyi Falola, the brain behind it when he chose the venture for his Final Project at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, FUTA two years ago. Luckily his supervisor Dr Oluwatosin Dahunsi who guided him through the production of the first prototype gave him all the support and together they began the process of fine tuning and polishing the Heliosat to what it has become today. And when it soared into the atmosphere and also landed on water without sinking they knew they had reached a milestone. And with the help of Professor Bello and Dr Mrs. Folasade Dahunsi, Falola did not abandon his pet project even when he returned for his master’s Degree and more fine-tuning took place. And when the FUTA-Heliosat was exhibited on the grounds of the School of Engineering and Engineering Technology on Tuesday, November 26, 2019, the Dean, School of the School Professor Aremu Akintunde described it as a critical addition to the search for local and viable technology for the country. The Vice Chancellor, Professor Joseph Fuwape, said FUTA will continue to give Falola all the supports he needs to reach his full potentials and contribute to the technological development of the country.
Nigeria’s student is never stranded by the system, but always keep showing they can build a better system.
Oluwaseyi Falola, a graduate of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Federal University Technology, Akure, has built FUTA-Heliosat, a mini-satellite that also functions as a drone.
FUTA-Heliosat started two years ago under the supervision of Dr Oluwatosin Dahunsi, it can climb to heights, capture sensations in the atmosphere according to the task assigned it, take readings and relate data back to a ground station for analysis.
It can also serve as a normal drone for aerial surveillance and lands on water, when necessary.
The FUTA-Heliosat is not the normal Drone device. It is much more. It is actually a mini satellite with the additional advantage of landing on the water while its sensors pick information and send directly to a ground station.
Excited Dr Oluwatosin Dahunsi, his mentor and project supervisor said most of FUTA-Heliosat’s components were locally sourced, adding that some of the sensors were imported, but calibrated to fit into Falola’s mode.
He noted that with further fine-tuning and support from relevant agencies, FUTA-Heliosat can be mass-produced for security and other functions.
