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https://scmp.com/tech/gear/article/3077296/uk-university-study-identifies-chinese-drone-maker-xag-best-fit
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UK university study identifies Chinese drone maker XAG as best fit for disinfection operations to fight coronavirus spread

  • Drones can enter badly affected areas and automatically spray disinfectant, reducing the risk of emergency personnel being infected by the pathogen
  • XAG drones have been used to carry out disinfection operations covering 902 million square metres across 20 provinces in China
Founded in 2007, XAG specialises in Unmanned Aerial Systems for the agricultural industry. Photo: Handout

Drones made by Chinese company XAG were identified in a university research study as one of the most suitable to carry out community disinfection operations in the UK.

The research, conducted last week with the help of experts from Harper Adams University, aimed to identify drones best-suited for disinfectant spraying in communities hit by the coronavirus epidemic as the UK scrambles to stem the spread of the disease.

The test results released earlier this week showed that British police believe the waterproof and dustproof design of XAG drones can best adapt to “the complex and volatile climate environment in the UK”, Chinese drone maker XAG said in a release on Thursday.

The drones can fly autonomously based on electronic pre-mapping of a targeted area, meeting police requirements for safe flight and accurate spraying, the company said. In the face of a severe public health crisis, drones can enter badly affected areas and automatically spray disinfectant, reducing the risk of emergency personnel being infected by the pathogen.

Founded in 2007, the Guangdong-based XAG, which specialises in Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) for the agricultural industry, said its factory in Dongguan resumed full production in February and is able to handle any large orders, with its P-series aerial spray system seen as the most suited for the task.

The comany said its series P plant protection drones are likely to be chosen for the operations.

Fleets of drones have joined China’s fight against the coronavirus outbreak, which has infected more than 450,000 and killed over 21,000 worldwide. Individual owner/pilots of 2,600 XAG drones, normally used in farm pesticide work, have been recruited to carry out disinfection operations covering 902 million square meters across 20 provinces in China since February.

Drones from DJI, XAG’s bigger Chinese rival, had carried out disinfection operations covering 600 million square meters across thousands of villages in Hubei, Zhejiang and Henan provinces as of February 12, the Civil Aviation Administration of China said in a post on its website last month.

DJI spokesman Titan Xie said the company was not involved in the UK Harper Adams study but it has been contacted by some public health agencies in Spain, which are considering using its drones for community disinfection work.

XAG has also teamed up with local authorities in South Korea and Vietnam to use drones to disinfect schools and government office areas, the company said.

Greater Manchester Police in northwest England asked Harper Adams University to study the use of drones for disinfection-spraying operations after being made aware of similar applications in China.

Engineers at Harper Adams conducted comparative research on the various types of drones available on the market, with a goal of identifying aerial unmanned equipment suitable for immunisation operations.

Jonathan Gill, a mechatronics researcher and UAV pilot at Harper Adams, was quoted by local media Shropshire Star saying they would “like to follow China’s successful lead in using drone spraying to tackle the Covid-19 outbreak.” He said XAG was sharing data on its effectiveness and supporting the university’s efforts.

Gill noted that the use of drones for disinfectant spraying was still awaiting approval from the UK government, which prohibits drone pilots flying their machines over a congested area or within 50 metres of a person, vehicle or building not under their control.

In 2018 XAG first established cooperation with Harper Adams, a public university in the village of Edgmond in Shropshire, England, that specialises in education for the agricultural and rural sector.

The Chinese drone maker said it will maintain close communication with its UK partners and is prepared to provide technical support to the 48 British police drone teams and 100 similar operations in the country’s fire service.

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