A Malaysia research team have found a way to turn pineapple leaves into drone parts

Professor Mohamed Thariq Hameed Sultan with a drone that half-made from pineapple stems

Yup, you read that right - Malaysian researchers have found a way to make good use of pineapple leaves turning them into drone parts! Turns out that these pineapple leaves have strong fibres which are good enough to become durable frames.

According to Professor Mohamed Thariq Hameed Sultan hailing from Malaysia Putra University, the frames made from pineapple leaves can be used for aerospace application. Compared with synthetic fibres, the bio-composite material has a better and higher strength-to-weight ratio as well as being lighter and cheaper to produce. Should the frames get damaged, they can be buried underground and degrade within two weeks.

At the moment, the professor mentioned that the prototyped drones can fly up to 1000 metres and stay airborne for 20 minutes. He hopes that he and the research team can manufacture bigger drones to integrate imagery sensors for agriculture usage and aerial inspections. The potential can also help to accommodate bigger payloads.

The project first began in 2017 and before this, the pineapple leaves were thrown away after harvesting. Not only this is an environmentally friendly way for sustainability, but also this can make the farmers' job more efficient and boost their income. Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.