{"id":48475,"date":"2024-09-09T00:00:58","date_gmt":"2024-09-09T00:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iuc.amu.edu.et\/?p=48475"},"modified":"2026-03-17T16:33:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T16:33:08","slug":"amu-iuc-project-embraces-cutting-edge-drone-technology-to-boost-amus-research-and-community-outreach-efforts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iuc.amu.edu.et\/index.php\/amu-iuc-project-embraces-cutting-edge-drone-technology-to-boost-amus-research-and-community-outreach-efforts\/","title":{"rendered":"AMU-IUC Project Embraces Cutting-Edge Drone Technology to Boost AMU\u2019s Research and Community Outreach Efforts"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"48475\" class=\"elementor elementor-48475\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4b24709 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"4b24709\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1928fcc elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"1928fcc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.22.0 - 26-06-2024 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The AMU-IUC Project, through its Research Sub-Project 6 (RSP-6), has acquired one of the most advanced drones on the market, the <\/span><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=V-4Om_4n998\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">DJI Matrice 300 RTK<\/span><\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, in a strategic move to elevate its research and community outreach efforts. The high-tech drone, known for its remarkable flight endurance of up to 55 minutes and an impressive transmission range of 15 kilometers, comes equipped with state-of-the-art artificial intelligence and a six-directional sensing and positioning system.<\/span><\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">&#8220;This is a game-changer for us,&#8221; said Dr. Fassil, Program Manager for the AMU-IUC Project. &#8220;The capabilities of this drone allow AMU researchers and IUC PhD students to engage in sophisticated aerial data collection, ranging from environmental studies to outreach and monitoring programs.&#8221;<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Getting the drone to AMU wasn\u2019t without challenges. Given the advanced technology, the AMU-IUC Project had to navigate rigorous customs clearance and technical inspections by Ethiopia\u2019s <\/span><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.insa.gov.et\/web\/en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Information Network Security Agency<\/span><\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (INSA). The drone has been granted special permission for educational use, ensuring its secure operation in collaboration with INSA. Dr. Fassil expressed gratitude to AMU management, INSA, and other government institutions for their vital role in acquiring the drone. \u201cTheir support was pivotal in making this a reality,\u201d he added.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f51186d e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"f51186d\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7af7bdb elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"7af7bdb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.22.0 - 26-06-2024 *\/\n.elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=\".svg\"]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"633\" src=\"https:\/\/iuc.amu.edu.et\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/DJI-Matrice-300-RTK-drone-set_RSP6-1024x633.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-48481\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/iuc.amu.edu.et\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/DJI-Matrice-300-RTK-drone-set_RSP6-1024x633.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/iuc.amu.edu.et\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/DJI-Matrice-300-RTK-drone-set_RSP6-300x185.jpg 300w, https:\/\/iuc.amu.edu.et\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/DJI-Matrice-300-RTK-drone-set_RSP6-768x475.jpg 768w, https:\/\/iuc.amu.edu.et\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/DJI-Matrice-300-RTK-drone-set_RSP6-rotated.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bbcead0 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"bbcead0\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-75f0ce0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"75f0ce0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Asst. Prof. Behailu Merdekios, Vice President for Research and Community Engagement at AMU, and Project Coordinator of the AMU-IUC Project, hailed this development as a milestone for the university. \u201cThis positions AMU at the forefront of Ethiopian research universities,\u201d he said, highlighting the drone\u2019s potential to advance understanding of land degradation, biodiversity, and environmental changes.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the key beneficiaries of the drone\u2019s capabilities will be <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Feven Kinfe<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a PhD student from RSP-6. Her research combines in-situ water quality monitoring with aerial assessments to study short-term dynamics in water turbidity, sediment load, and algal blooms. The drone will also support joint research with <\/span><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/iuc.amu.edu.et\/index.php\/yibeltal-yihunies-phd-journey-at-ku-leuven-a-rich-experience\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yibeltal Yihunie<\/span><\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a PhD student from RSP-4, focusing on mapping and evaluating biophysical brushwood check dams\u2014a sustainable strategy to reduce runoff and enhance water quality.<\/span><\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RSP-6 has organized a workshop led by <\/span><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/urc.ugent.be\/author\/wouter-maes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prof. Dr. Wouter<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Maes<\/span><\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> from the UAV Research Centre at Ghent University<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to support these initiatives. The workshop is scheduled for September 15-20, 2024, and will bring together AMU researchers, AMU-IUC project members, and staff from AMU\u2019s Corporate Communication Directorate Office and INSA.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In addition to the drone, the AMU-IUC Project has also recently acquired High-Performance Computing <\/span><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amu.edu.et\/en\/the-catholic-university-of-leuven-ku-leuven-donated-high-end-ict-equipment-to-amu-totaling-2-229-766-85\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">equipment donated by KU Leuven<\/span><\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Belgium. This advanced equipment will enable researchers to process complex datasets generated by the drone\u2019s geospatial imaging technology, delivering faster and more accurate insights. With this new technology in place, AMU is set to become a major player in research and community outreach, benefiting not only the university but also the surrounding region and Ethiopia as a whole.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The AMU-IUC Project, through its Research Sub-Project 6 (RSP-6), has acquired one of the most advanced drones on&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":48477,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[19117,19049],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/iuc.amu.edu.et\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48475"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/iuc.amu.edu.et\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/iuc.amu.edu.et\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iuc.amu.edu.et\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iuc.amu.edu.et\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48475"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/iuc.amu.edu.et\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48475\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48496,"href":"https:\/\/iuc.amu.edu.et\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48475\/revisions\/48496"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iuc.amu.edu.et\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/48477"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/iuc.amu.edu.et\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48475"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iuc.amu.edu.et\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48475"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iuc.amu.edu.et\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48475"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}