U.S.
Español
Arabic
(CNN)Across the African continent, drones are finding innovative uses -- from monitoring displaced populations, to delivering critical medical supplies.
Moroccan technology startup ATLAN Space is developing artificial intelligence (AI) to guide autonomous drones so they can scan large areas for "environmental crimes" like illegal fishing, poaching or deforestation.
In June, ATLAN Space won the National Geographic Society's $150,000 Marine Protection Prize to implement a pilot project to combat illegal fishing in the Seychelles.
Drones will be armed with information about illegal fishing hotspots, explains Badr Idrissi, CEO and co-founder of ATLAN Space.
Once a drone detects a boat, AI will enable it to verify whether it is a cruising boat, tanker or fishing vessel. The drone will then establish whether the boat is operating inside a marine protected area, and if it is an authorized fishing vessel.
The Seychelles main island of Mahe.
If it concludes that the activity is illegal, the drone will register the boat's location, identification number, and number of people on board and relay this information to authorities via satellite.
Currently governments employ light aircraft or coast guard vessels for this kind of surveillance.
"With artificial intelligence we are able to replace the pilot, the data analyst, transmission equipment, and with that we can reduce the cost," says Idrissi, a former account manager at Microsoft.
He adds that using drones guided by AI would relieve coast guards from their monitoring duties and allow them to focus on intercepting vessels.
According to Idrissi, ATLAN Space technology can be integrated in any type of drone. He says the operational range could reach up to 800 kilometers when using drones equipped with a combustion engine.
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's a drone powered by artificial intelligence.
Idrissi, 37 and co-founder Younes Moumen, 35, both based in Rabat, started developing the technology when they learned that illegal fishing costs coastal countries in West Africa approximately $2.3 billion every year.
"We consider ourselves a partner of government to build a sustainable solution to the issues and challenges they are facing," Idrissi says.
Drones for good
ATLAN Space is one of many startups innovating with drone technology on the continent.
Across Southern Africa, drones are used to protect elephants and rhinos from poaching. In Sudan, a startup wants to drop Acacia tree seeds from the sky to tackle desertification, and in South Africa, drones are used in agriculture to monitor crop health and detect disease.
In Rwanda, drones deliver vital medical supplies like blood and vaccines to remote areas.
Photos:
In Dubai, Exponent Technology Services collaborated with aviation authorities on a new tracking system helping prevent drones entering no-fly zones. Exponent also trialed a food delivery by drone, flying out 900 burgers in just one day. Scroll through to discover more innovative drones around the world.
Hide Caption
1 of 20
Photos:
JEM Internal Ball -- The JEM Internal Ball was dispatched to the International Space Station in 2017 to capture astronauts at work. If that sounds like vanity, it's estimated ISS occupants spend approximately 10% of their working hours photographing their findings. Read more.
Hide Caption
2 of 20
Photos:
Parrot Bebop Pro Thermal -- Parrot's thermal edition drone can provide a live feed identifying heat signatures, such as those given off by a human body, or the hot spots of a burning building. As an inspection tool manually controlled by humans, it can be used by first-responders and in disaster-relief efforts. Read more.
Hide Caption
3 of 20
Photos:
DP Cargospeed -- A rendering of a DP Cargospeed route in Dubai with drones and trucks working within the supply chain. Read more.
Hide Caption
4 of 20
Photos:
Ambulance Drone -- Capable of speeds of 100 kmph (62 mph), Delft Technical University's ambulance drone prototype carries a defibrillator which can be dispatched for use in the event of a heart attack. Read more.
Hide Caption
5 of 20
Photos:
Plan Bee -- Honeybee decline is a worrying issue, integral as they are to pollination. Industrial design major Anna Haldewang has developed a drone called Plan Bee, which mimics the action of a bee, sucking pollen from one plant and expelling it onto others to enable cross-pollination. Read more.
Hide Caption
6 of 20
Photos:
The Little Ripper UAV -- In January 2018 in New South Wales, Australia, the Little Ripper UAV proved vital in rescuing two men caught in rough surf. Lifeguards used the drone to drop an inflatable life preserver in minutes, which the swimmers clung on to to make it to shore. Read more.
Hide Caption
7 of 20
Photos:
Airdog ADII -- In extreme sports, headcams are so passé. The Airdog ADII drone will follow riders on snow, water, dirt track -- wherever -- using a GPS-enabled wristband capturing aerial shots while you make your aerial moves. Read more.
Hide Caption
8 of 20
Photos:
Volocopter -- The 18-rotor autonomous Volocopter was trialled in the emirate in 2017 and reportedly has a flight time of 30 minutes and cruising speed of 30 mph -- enough to get you from the airport to the Burj Al Arab with time to spare. Read more.
Hide Caption
9 of 20
Photos:
Amazon Prime Air -- Amazon has been making significant headway in drone deliveries, with the first drop in the UK occurring in 2016. In 2017 a patent application emerged showing details of a system for safe air drop in back yards -- even involving tiny parachutes. Read more.
Hide Caption
10 of 20
Photos:
UPS -- Amazon isn't the only delivery company dipping into drones. UPS demonstrated a human-drone tag team system with integrated storage and launch facilities built into one of their iconic brown vans. Read more.
Hide Caption
11 of 20
Photos:
SkyDrive -- Still in development, the SkyDrive from the Cartivator Project, a Tokyo non-profit, hopes to play a key part in the 2020 Olympic Games. With three wheels and four rotors, the car-drone hybrid will hopefully be the vehicle of choice for the lucky individual tasked with lighting the Olympic flame. Read More.
Hide Caption
12 of 20