Nust’s Undergrads Are Making Pakistan’s First Autonomous Drones

A group of Undergrads from NUST are making Pakistan proud as they have been able to make Pakistan’s first autonomous drone by representing Pakistan in various international competitions and exhibitions. They have won many competitions worldwide and are impressing the world with their creativity and hard work.

The students involved in making these drones are Muhammad Hassan Khan, Hafiz Hamza Jalil Qureshi, Ali Shair Muhammad Bhutta, Muhammad Taaha Rana and many others. They were fourth-year mechanical engineering students who built these drones in 2016 and were studying at CEME .

As soon as their product was complete, they started appearing in national technological competitions and getting recognition. They participated in the 2018 IMechE UAS Challenge held in the UK as their first ever international appearance. After winning that challenge, they regularly started to participate in many international competitions.

The group has won 9 international awards since 2018, representing Pakistan worldwide. These include Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Challenge 2021 and the best safety award. The judges of the challenge gave remarks praising the creativity and practical sense of the team;

“The [NUST Airworks] team gave an excellent explanation of their general approach and a good hazard table with clear consequences of concern, preventative and corrective measures.”

When they returned from the UK in 2018, they were celebrated as stars, and Pakistan welcomed them warmly.
“We were welcomed by the honourable Governor of Sindh, Mr Imran Ismail and financially rewarded by him.” they said.

But their voyage of making Pakistan proud doesn’t stop here. They are planning on visiting turkey this year and participating in two categories of TeknoFest 2022, the competition held for the best autonomous drone swarm fleet of the year.

They have developed autonomous drones that are capable of monitoring and tracking people as well as payload delivery.
“We have designed a fixed-wing UAV with capabilities of autonomous flight, navigation, drop zone identification, and payload delivery.” they announced during a seminar.

These young lads have inspired many students of Pakistan to work hard and make our country proud. These inventions will help Pakistan on its way to technological and financial growth. They shared their vision during an interview as follows;
“The primary focus of our projects is to make it as economically feasible as possible and take Pakistan a step ahead in the field of drone technology.”

These students are among the many other young patriotic enthusiasts working day in and day out to match their love for their profession and the country. These heartwarming stories give us the hope that Pakistan’s future is in good hands.