Saxion University of Applied Sciences started researching a fast, cost-effective and high-quality security drone that can be deployed autonomously 24/7. They developed The BEAST, a drone with the perfect balance between legal and technological aspects. The drone uses video images, a heat camera, and it has a sense of smell. It can also autonomously avoid buildings, trees and birds, and it can be at the location within two minutes.
More than education
Lecturer Abeje Mersha of the Mechatronics research group, on Saxion’s website: “Many people may think that Saxion, as a University of Applied Sciences, is only concerned with education, but we do much more than that. We serve our partners, both from the commercial and public sector, with our application-oriented research and prepare our students for the most innovative techniques.”
"Met ons toepassingsgerichte onderzoek bedienen we onze partners, zowel uit de commerciële als de publieke sector, en bereiden we onze studenten voor op de meest innovatieve technieken."
Abeje Mersha, Lector Mechatronica
Prins Friso Ingenieursprijs
The BEAST was the runner-up in the prestigious Prins Friso Ingenieursprijs 2021 (Prince Friso Engineering Award) from the Koninklijk Instituut van Ingenieurs (Royal Institute of Engineers, KIVI) – an award for engineers who use their knowledge to solve social problems. The RAAK SME project is a collaboration between Saxion, NHL Stenden, the University of Twente, eight SMEs and five public organizations, including Rijkswaterstaat, the police and the fire department. The project started in early 2020 and will run until January 2022.
Drone Technology
Drone technologies and applications are taking off, partly thanks to increasingly cheaper and smaller processors and sensors, particularly in civilian sectors such as security, agriculture and logistics. The EU expects this fast-growing market to create ten thousand jobs in the coming ten years, with an economic impact of ten billion euros per year in Europe alone.
