Flying robots are being used in island of Borneo - Malaysia to fight malaria. Malaria is an infectious disease that according to The World Health Organization "killed more than 600,000 people last year, mainly children in Africa and Asia". The drones are expected to help researches to map and detect the reasons why the rise in the number of people infected with this virus that spreads from mosquito and macaques to people.
How it works?
According to Mashable.com the drones "create a detailed map, which we can then superimpose or overlay with the human and the macaque movement," Drakeley told Live Science. The movement patterns of both monkeys and humans were derived from GPS data. Locals were asked to carry around GPS tracking devices, while certain macaques were fitted with GPS collars.
The hope is that this GPS data will help the researchers pinpoint where humans and macaques are most likely to interact, and the drones will show the researchers what these areas look like and help them figure out why both species might be drawn to those areas.
Hopefully the drones can do their job and help hundreds of people infected with the virus not only in Malaysia but among other countries with high rates of this type of infection.
No comments:
Post a Comment