Today's Edition
SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)
Khalifa University of Science and Technology (KUST) is showcasing innovations in the defence field at the International Defence Exhibition (IDEX) in Abu Dhabi.
Dr. Rafic Ajaj, an Associate Professor at KUST, is leading a project to develop a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft.
"We wanted to explore a novel concept to achieve a VTOL aircraft, which is using fans in the wings. As you can see here, the wings have fans embedded inside them. In addition, there is a third motor that can tilt forward and up to achieve VTOL," Dr. Ajaj told Aletihad.
He further explained how the design is different from many VTOL concepts.
"By the moment the aircraft transitions from vertical to horizontal, the doors here close, giving a nice aerodynamic shape for the wing. So, our aircraft has reduced acoustic emission, has better aerodynamic efficiency, and is ideal for close air support missions."
As the fans are protected inside the wing, the possibility of them surviving enemy fire is much higher, Dr. Ajaj noted.
"This drone is for research and development, but there are plans to expand this into a much bigger, more realistic mission," Dr. Ajaj added.Another project is a cost-effective 3D bioprinter capable of printing tissues and organs, introduced by Dr. Shabbir Hassan, an Assistant Professor in the Biological Sciences Department and Biotechnology Center at KUST.
"In a battlefield, soldiers can sustain injuries, such as burned skin or loss of tissues, including damage to the nose, ear, bone, or muscle. What we do here is we actually have 3D models of human-based tissues. For instance, this is a scaled-down version of a human ear that, once implanted or placed on an injured soldier, can integrate with the human body after a year or so."
"Our goal is to develop strategies to lower the consequences of battlefield injuries, be it skin burns, loss of tissue, or loss of limbs or organs. This is biomaterial bioengineering, where we can 3D bioprint any organ."
The in-house 3D printer, costing only Dh1,000-Dh2,000, is capable of 3D printing the body with bioink, including human stem cells, for developing organs or tissues.
