Can 3-D Printed Drones Help Save Wildlife? | National Geographic

it’s a war zone at this point the value

it’s a war zone at this point the value of a rhino horn is worth more than ten

of a rhino horn is worth more than ten

of a rhino horn is worth more than ten times the value of the Rhino alive

times the value of the Rhino alive

times the value of the Rhino alive poachers are coming in they’re

poachers are coming in they’re

poachers are coming in they’re well-armed most of them are coming in

well-armed most of them are coming in

well-armed most of them are coming in teams now and they come in with assault

teams now and they come in with assault

teams now and they come in with assault rifles and they don’t have the law

rifles and they don’t have the law

rifles and they don’t have the law holding them back there’s not a lot of

holding them back there’s not a lot of

holding them back there’s not a lot of Technology Solutions or barriers for the

Technology Solutions or barriers for the

Technology Solutions or barriers for the poachers so our goal really is focusing

poachers so our goal really is focusing

poachers so our goal really is focusing on stopping it before it actually

on stopping it before it actually

on stopping it before it actually happens the wildlife conservation UAV

happens the wildlife conservation UAV

happens the wildlife conservation UAV Chandra is the challenge that is created

Chandra is the challenge that is created

Chandra is the challenge that is created to motivate and inspire people from

to motivate and inspire people from

to motivate and inspire people from around the world to create a unmanned

around the world to create a unmanned

around the world to create a unmanned aerial vehicle that would be used for

aerial vehicle that would be used for

aerial vehicle that would be used for counter poaching purposes

137 teams in 29 different countries on

137 teams in 29 different countries on six continents saying yes we want to be

six continents saying yes we want to be

six continents saying yes we want to be a part of this initiative we want to

a part of this initiative we want to

a part of this initiative we want to help find a solution the idea behind

help find a solution the idea behind

help find a solution the idea behind using a drone for counter poaching is to

using a drone for counter poaching is to

using a drone for counter poaching is to get out there and try to detect the

get out there and try to detect the

get out there and try to detect the poachers before they get to the animals

poachers before they get to the animals

poachers before they get to the animals with a UAV you can actually cover a half

with a UAV you can actually cover a half

with a UAV you can actually cover a half a day’s worth of walking within a matter

a day’s worth of walking within a matter

a day’s worth of walking within a matter of minutes it’s not about making a great

of minutes it’s not about making a great

of minutes it’s not about making a great aircraft it’s about being able to

aircraft it’s about being able to

aircraft it’s about being able to process that data on board and that’s

process that data on board and that’s

process that data on board and that’s where the new sensors and the little

where the new sensors and the little

where the new sensors and the little tiny computers and the chips become

tiny computers and the chips become

tiny computers and the chips become exciting if there are poachers in the

exciting if there are poachers in the

exciting if there are poachers in the park how many are they where are they

park how many are they where are they

park how many are they where are they located what types of weapons are they

located what types of weapons are they

located what types of weapons are they carrying what’s their proximity to the

carrying what’s their proximity to the

carrying what’s their proximity to the animals and also what’s the best route

animals and also what’s the best route

animals and also what’s the best route for a ranger to go there and stop the

for a ranger to go there and stop the

for a ranger to go there and stop the poachers by being involved in this

poachers by being involved in this

poachers by being involved in this challenge we’re hoping to push this

challenge we’re hoping to push this

challenge we’re hoping to push this technology to the limit 3d printing

technology to the limit 3d printing

technology to the limit 3d printing allows us design platforms that are very

allows us design platforms that are very

allows us design platforms that are very quick and easy to produce and the great

quick and easy to produce and the great

quick and easy to produce and the great thing about using a smart phone is that

thing about using a smart phone is that

thing about using a smart phone is that it has a number of built-in sensors

it has a number of built-in sensors

it has a number of built-in sensors already Bluetooth Wi-Fi has LTE

already Bluetooth Wi-Fi has LTE

already Bluetooth Wi-Fi has LTE communications but the thing that we

communications but the thing that we

communications but the thing that we leverage the most is the camera and the

leverage the most is the camera and the

leverage the most is the camera and the processing power where we are now is

processing power where we are now is

processing power where we are now is we’ve developed a 3d printed plane we’ve

we’ve developed a 3d printed plane we’ve

we’ve developed a 3d printed plane we’ve developed the apps that run on the phone

developed the apps that run on the phone

developed the apps that run on the phone and we’ve got the sensors that we want

and we’ve got the sensors that we want

and we’ve got the sensors that we want to put on the system all that remains at

to put on the system all that remains at

to put on the system all that remains at this point is to bring it all together

this point is to bring it all together

this point is to bring it all together put it up in the air

put it up in the air

put it up in the air and make sure that it does what we hope

and make sure that it does what we hope

and make sure that it does what we hope it does

from the perspective of why we started

from the perspective of why we started the challenge I’d like to see the rhino

the challenge I’d like to see the rhino

the challenge I’d like to see the rhino poaching numbers go down drastically and

poaching numbers go down drastically and

poaching numbers go down drastically and then from the point of technology we

then from the point of technology we

then from the point of technology we really hope that people are going to

really hope that people are going to

really hope that people are going to start seeing that a challenge can be a

start seeing that a challenge can be a

start seeing that a challenge can be a great way of motivating people if we

great way of motivating people if we

great way of motivating people if we have technology we can use it to protect

have technology we can use it to protect

have technology we can use it to protect the world we live in