This year South Africa will host 100’s of young people from Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa who will compete to show off their solutions in the the BRICS Future Skills Challenge from 12 to 15 September at the Johannesburg Expo Centre.
Competitors will pitch their solutions in a “Lions Den” to the expert judges to the most pressing challenges we face today.
“I am deeply honoured to have been selected as the BRICS Drone Expert for 2023. My qualifications stem from a robust skill set amassed over two decades in drone design and fabrication. As a mechanical engineer and a commercial pilot—including certification in drone piloting—I offer a unique blend of expertise.”
Damian said Drone Operating is a three-day competition involving 30 international students. The event comprises five challenges spread over two days of intensive building, testing, and a final day dedicated to presentations.
“On Day 1, participants assemble drones using supplied components, requiring skills in soldering and programming. Test flights and a timed obstacle course follow. Concurrently, students initiate the design of a robotic gripper, enabling their drones to hover while picking up objects. The design, fabrication, and testing of the gripper wrap up late on Day 1 and continue into the morning of Day 2.
‘Day 2 is focused on attaching the gripper and developing an electronic sensor to analyse the metal content of the objects retrieved. With the gripper and sensor in place, competitors face a timed challenge: collecting samples and depositing them into designated bins based on their metal content.
Day 3 centres on a five-minute presentation before a panel of judges, who will assess the student's ingenuity and problem-solving skills throughout the project.”
In the individual pictures are Damian and the Mandela University Drone team.