When Nelson Mandela University’s (NMU) School of Engineering in Gqeberha started looking into drones, it wasn’t simply interested in flying off-the-shelf rotary drones; it wanted to design new technology and platforms. “We wanted them to apply the theory to something practical,” says Karl du Preez, the director of NMU’s Advanced Mechatronic Technology Centre (AMTC). AMTC is currently self-funded, with nearly all of its projects to date backed by the Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services Sector Education and Training Authority. “We soon realised that we would need a licence to fly all these nice toys we were holding,” adds Du Preez.

It also turned out that a lot of departments throughout the university were interested in getting equipment into the air. One of the first drones designed and built to support researchers at NMU could lift up to 1kg. “There’s a gap in the middle of the wing and that’s where they get to put their payload,” says Damian Mooney, a semi-retired commercial pilot who joined AMTC as a consultant. “We offer this to all divisions within the university. This particular aircraft can stay in the air for about an hour and once airborne, we can sample whatever they need us to.”