July 30, 2015 | By Simon
Of all of the incredible things that designers, engineers and Makers are using 3D printers for, it’s hard to deny that one of the most inspiring and fascinating areas to watch is in disrupting traditional product manufacturing processes with new methods that not only allow for product customization, but also the ability for many users to afford a particular type of product that they might not have been able to previously due to the high cost of parts and manufacturing.
For Mexican electronics engineering student Quesney Nevarez, this couldn’t be any more true.
The 22-year-old Nevarez, who grew up on her family’s farm, has been spending the summer in Ottawa, Canada developing a 3D printable drone design that will utilize existing drone-aided technologies to take aerial readings of farmers’ crops - a method that’s become an increasingly reliable way for farmers to monitor and improve upon their crops that her family has been unable to afford.
In order to take accurate readings of the crops, a drone flies over a farm’s property taking photos that display a near-infrared reading of how plants are absorbing sunlight and tracks their photosynthesis levels. Based on this data, farmers can either improve their use of water and fertilizer or otherwise verify the current health status of their crops.
Because her family has been unable to afford one of the costly crop monitoring systems that are geared more towards commercial farms, Nevarez was inspired to create one of her own design for her family using a combination of off-the-shelf parts, 3D printed components and open source software.
“This is (to) help small farmers like my family make sure the health of their crops,” she explains. “This technology is really expensive … We are trying to keep it as low-cost as possible, so that way small farmers, every farmer, can get their own.”
Nevarez, who comes from Ciudad Obregón, is one of 44 students who were chosen to develop or refine existing projects in Ottawa as a part of a three-month Globalink internship program.
“In my school, we don’t have a lot of things. It’s a small school. Even in Mexico, it’s hard to find a 3D printer, and here they have three,” she said. “It’s really different.”
Much of the work that is being done by Nevarez and others in the program involves finding new applications for drone technology, such as low-cost crop monitoring.
“Her background stood out, having had experience on a family farm, and this was a project about giving technology to small farmers both here and abroad, so it was a perfect fit,” said Jeremy Laliberté, an associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering who is leading the program.
Thus far, the program has been a success already. According to Nevarez, this has been her first time ever working with drones - yet she is already developing a low-cost open source product that will not only help her family, but can also improve the lives of thousands of other farmers around the world.
Posted in 3D Printing Applications
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