Morocco Ramps Up Drone Use in COVID-19 Fight, Plans Local Production

These flying robots are used for several purposes: aerial surveillance of populations, broadcasting of alert messages, disinfection of public spaces... "There is a real enthusiasm: in a few weeks, demand has tripled in Morocco and other countries in the region," says Yassine Qamous, director of "Droneway Maroc". He is responsible for the distribution, on the African continent, of products from the Chinese global leader DJI.

With the appearance of covid-19, the use of drones is no longer limited to filming movies, treating agricultural surfaces, monitoring solar panels or cartographic surveys. The Moroccan authorities are using these flying robots in several cities to broadcast alert messages, detect suspicious movements in the streets or uncover illegal gatherings on house terraces, reports AFP.

In Temara, the prefecture launched last week a high-precision aerial surveillance system developed by engineers from a local group, Beti3D, previously specialized in topography. Covid-19 is encouraging the development of a locally adapted drone production. "There is a real demand," says Abderrahmane Krioual, the boss of Farasha. This start-up has also raised funds to develop a production line of thermal surveillance and disinfectant spraying drones in Rabat.

For its part, the aeronautics department of the International University of Rabat (UIR) has made its expertise available to the public authorities since the end of March, for the deployment of drones equipped with loudspeakers or infrared cameras capable of detecting night movements or crowd temperatures. "A few projects are underway before being generalized throughout the country," says Mohsine Bouya, Director of "Valorization and Transfer" at UIR. He will specify that the UIR teams have also developed tracing applications, but "we have to wait for compliant legislation".