Kazakh-made eco know-how: vacuum cleaner drone for air purification

Vacuum cleaner drones pick up non-stop microparticles that cause allergies in people. The environmental know-how from Kazakhstan on air purification attracted foreign investors. This technology was developed by three students. Young scientists have tested absorbent elements that will trap harmful nanoparticles. As a basis for testing, they took the polluted air in the city of Almaty.

“We have been working hard on the prototype all this time. Simply put, it consists of a quadcopter, a motor and filters,” developer Ostap Gorbunov said.

The main threat to human health is PM2.5 particles. This air pollutant is a product of combustion, found in car exhaust gases, and released when wood and coal are burned.

“They are those nanoparticles that decompose within three to four weeks, that is, a considerable time. That is why they are our main target for cleaning,” developer Aya Marat noted.

Test launches of household drones have already been carried out. A certain amount of pollutant was sprayed at the same time. Measurements have shown that the technology works. Another test included the closed garage that was filled with exhaust fumes. The result was excellent again.

“Initially, we were contacted by foreign universities, foreign investors even before we started developing the prototype. Six months ago, universities from Michigan, Singapore, and Qatar contacted us. Investors were ready to finance for just the idea, but under the name of their countries,” Marat added.

However, the developers want to make the technology in Kazakhstan, and share this experience in the future. Moreover, there are interested people in our country who want to become part of this environmental project. This, however, is only about private investment. But students do not give up hope to enlist state support.