Man Uses Local Materials to Build ‘Made in Senegal’ Drones

 

A Senegal man is attempting to prove he can build and sell drones, or unpiloted aircraft, in his home country.

Mamadou Wade¹ Diop has experience working with drones in the photography and health industries. Diop, who calls himself Dr. Drone on social media, can also fix drones. In fact, he is one of the few people in Senegal’s capital Dakar who can repair them.

But recently, he decided² to take his knowledge of the devices a step further. He is trying to build a drone made entirely³ in Senegal.

Diop’s goal is to use local materials and skilled workers in Senegal to make the drones. However, not all of the necessary materials are available right now. But Diop told VOA he wants to prove that it is possible to make the technology in his home country.

Diop says he has been able to communicate with other drone makers⁴ in France and China through the internet. He has learned about their experiences to help him progress with his home-grown drone project.

Diop plans to build his first locally-produced drone for use in the health industry. The drone will be designed to spread chemicals to prevent mosquito reproduction. Mosquitoes can carry and spread serious diseases.

One of the materials needed for Diop’s drone is a carbon fiber⁵ that is not available in Senegal. He says he ordered the material from China, but then worked with local iron workers to shape the pieces for his drone. He got aluminum⁶ from a broken refrigerator to form part of the body for his drone.

Mamadou Diallo is the owner of a photography shop who often uses Diop’s drone services. Diallo said there is not a large market for drones in Senegal right now. But, he said demand for the flyers is rising.

Diallo says he wants to support Diop’s efforts to create the first “Made in Senegal” drone. Diop welcomes the help, saying it is important to start making drones locally before foreign companies come in and begin selling them at much higher prices.

I’m Bryan Lynn.

Words in This Story

photography – n. the art, process, or job of taking pictures with a camera

refrigerator – n. a device used to keep things (such as food and drinks) cold

1 wade   

v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉

参考例句：

• We had to wade through the river to the opposite bank.我们只好涉水过河到对岸。
• We cannot but wade across the river.我们只好趟水过去。

2 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

3 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

4 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 fiber   

n.纤维，纤维质

参考例句：

• The basic structural unit of yarn is the fiber.纤维是纱的基本结构单元。
• The material must be free of fiber clumps.这种材料必须无纤维块。

6 aluminum   

n.(aluminium)铝

参考例句：

• The aluminum sheets cannot be too much thicker than 0.04 inches.铝板厚度不能超过0.04英寸。
• During the launch phase,it would ride in a protective aluminum shell.在发射阶段，它盛在一只保护的铝壳里。