 |
Three drone makers at
work in the plant run by William Elong, 25, who aims for a Cameroonian entry
into the market for pilotless aircraft
|
Talking fast and dreaming big, William Elong
shows off the first "made in Cameroon" drone at his sixth-floor
workshop in downtown Douala, minutes from the economic capital's Atlantic
seafront.
The 25-year-old, known as a high-flyer after
being named one of Forbes' most promising young Africans under 30, is enthusing
about his new unmanned aerial drones and keen to promote his company and Africa
as a place where IT and new tech can flourish.
We must "get out of the Afro-centric vision
of business" to "understand that when one has a global vision,
worldwide, this includes Africa," Elong says in a discussion of future
technologies.
Elong has no degree in IT or robotics but studied
strategy and competitive intelligence in France, becoming the youngest-ever
graduate from Paris' Economic Warfare School.
He founded his startup Will & Brothers in
2015 with a main project called Drone Africa, which aims to provide drones for
civil purposes to businesses, the state in Cameroon and elsewhere. With a top range of up to 20 kilometres (12
miles), the drones can be used for purposes as different as cartography, media
coverage, support for agriculture and detecting gas in mines to reduce the risk
of accidents.
"The know-how is here, in Cameroon,"
says Elong, who is aware young African talent often seeks employment in Europe
and elsewhere. He says at this stage his firm's capital of US$200,000 (€162,400)
has come from Western backers.
Also supported by the government of President
Paul Biya, Elong hopes eventually to raise US$2 million to expand the business
but he regrets that "not many Africans are involved" in the project,
which features two airborne types of drone and one terrestrial model.
The commercial market in Africa is expanding with
unmanned aircraft already whizzing across the skies delivering items like
medicine and food, and even helping farmers sow seeds.
- 'Flying
wing' -
In Rwanda, drones get medical supplies such as
blood and vaccines to remote areas. Tanzania is launching a similar programme.
And drones equipped with night-vision cameras help to detect and track poachers
in Kenya, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
 |
Three drone makers at
work in the plant run by William Elong, 25, who aims for a Cameroonian entry
into the market for pilotless aircraft
|
Elong presents the two airborne prototype models
on a table inside his assembly shop. The first "flying wing that we've baptized Algo" has the furthest range and could prove an economical
solution to the costly task of making maps, he suggests.
The second type, known as Logarythm, has four
arms forming a propeller, can reach an altitude of up to 500 metres (1,640
feet) and is fitted with high-definition cameras, which would be useful in
high-risk zones and for precision work, Elong adds.
Crucially, he argues, manufacturing costs are
lower than those of foreign manufacturers, so the drones produced will be
priced competitively across the African marketplace. He envisages "selling drones to Vietnam, to
Venezuela, to Denmark for example, and becoming one of the biggest global
enterprises in this sector."
Elsewhere, two young engineers in white lab coats
are carefully building a prototype. "When all the components are
available, we are able to assemble a drone like this in 24 hours," says
engineer Louis Ekani.
Some of the parts are made in Cameroon, while
others are supplied from abroad.
- 'The pride
of Cameroon' -
"The start was extremely complicated,"
says young technical director Yves Tamu, who is described on the company
website as an entrepreneur, digital champion and inventor. "But we have a
dynamic, autonomous and state-of-the-art team thanks to which we found the
solution (to assembling drones)."
The average age of employees is barely 22 and the
team comprises mainly engineers and developers who have spent two years
building airworthy drones. "Will & Brothers is the pride of
Cameroon," gushed Minister of Posts and Telecommunications Libom Li Likeng
at a government ceremony to present the drones in early February. Their design demonstrates "the innovative
capacity of Cameroonian youth", she added.
Elong's firm is represented in Ivory Coast and
plans to open offices in France and the United States, but he stresses the
development of artificial intelligence is his primary goal. Will & Brothers has worked on an AI known as
Cyclops, which enables drones to detect people, objects and vehicles and to
identify different types of animal at specific sites.
"Artificial intelligence is the future of humanity," Elong says, confident that Africa can at least try to compete with the big tech giants in California. "It knocks me out that so many people here take no interest in technology."
Originally published on DAILY MAIL/AFP WIRES
No comments :
Post a Comment