QIU and Strat Aero Malaysia (SAM) have inked a deal to collaborate on the future implementation of an Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) system.
The collaboration was made official during a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony held at QIU’s campus here recently. The MoU was signed by QIU Chief Operating Officer Nicholas Goh and Strat Aero Malaysia Chairman Dato’ Sri Azharuddin Abdul Rahman.
Present to witness the ceremony were QIU Vice-Chancellor Professor Zita Mohd Fahmi, QIU Registrar Muhammad MG Omar, QIU Director of Academic Affairs Professor Dr Tina Lim, Dean of QIU’s Faculty of Science and Technology Professor Dr Vilasini Pillai, Deputy Dean of QIU’s Faculty of Science and Technology Professor Ts. Dr Sim Yee Wai, QIU Innovation and Technology Centre Director Yen Pei Tay and SAM Chief Executive Officer Dato’ Lester Tay Kean Boon.
The partnership will see the UTM system planned for deployment and implementation in QIU’s Innovation and Technology Centre. The system—which will be the first of its kind to be based in a university— will be utilised for academic and research purposes.
Whenever a drone is in the air, the SAM | Unifly UTM will capture its flight path, position and altitude. It will be able to inform drone pilots of incoming hazards while also monitoring and curbing illegal drone flights.
The SAM | Unifly UTM also allows registered drone pilots to file digital flight plans and apply for permits with the aviation authorities. The system is able to harness data analytics to automatically figure out if the newly submitted flight plan is safe to fly.
Location data from the drones is also beamed back to the system, allowing drone pilots and the authorities to monitor the drone’s location in real-time. The public will be able to access the drone maps and find out why a drone is being flown in their neighbourhood.
The MoU is the starting point for a long-term collaboration to manage drone movement in Perak’s low-altitude air space. QIU and SAM have also agreed to collaborate on the planning, research, and technology development of unmanned aerial vehicles and other related technologies.
“We are ready to deploy this exciting technology. This is will be another example of research that has a real, immediate impact. It will make the drone industry safer, and that, in turn, will make drones more regulated and accessible for all,” said QIU Chief Operating Officer Nicholas Goh.
“Our students will no doubt benefit from this partnership, as they will be able to work on this cutting-edge project and gain precious real-world experience with a renowned company. We are proud to be working together with Strat Aero, and we look forward to a fantastic collaboration where we can combine our academic and industrial resources,” he added.
“We are looking forward to this collaboration for the UTM system initiative which will be in compliance with the Civil Aviation Directives.” emphasised SAM Chairman Dato’ Sri Azharuddin.
