14 DAY TRIAL // Self-serving people are a dime a dozen, but some men and women are actively trying to make the world a safer place.
At least that is the long-term goal. The short-term one is, ironically, to raise money. Preferably the $1 million / €900,000 from the grand prize offered to the winners of the UAE Drones for Good competition.
The contest will take place in Dubai in around two weeks and will have the no small task of deciding which of the 800 different projects is the best and most likely to make the world a better place.
The UAE Drones for Good award was launched in February 2014, during the second Government Summit, by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Its aim is to promote worldwide innovation by encouraging use of technology to improve the lives of people.
There will be many drones at this year's edition, like package delivery quadcopters, tree planting aircraft, devices that will clear fog in airports and intersections, ways to improve life in slums, etc.
The one that caught our eye, however, is a sizable quadcopter that will detect land mines and destroy them. After World War II and all the proxy conflicts that have happened since, there are quite a few areas where mines still linger.
Henri, a waterproof four-propeller drone that maps reefs in Haiti might also win, since it can land in and take off from water after it has surveyed a habitat enough.
Ultimately, though, it's hard to say, hence why the competition is necessary to begin with. We'll know more in February.