”CoralBot” : Coral Reef Mapping Drone
“Coral-Bot” The design of a low-cost and open-source Coral Reef Mapping Drone to monitor and assess the health of coral reefs around Hong Kong and worldwide.
“Coral-Bot” The design of a low-cost and open-source Coral Reef Mapping Drone to monitor and assess the health of coral reefs around Hong Kong and worldwide.
Coral reefs are essential to healthy coasts and vibrant economies, playing a critical role in everything from protecting lives and property to supporting thousands of businesses. Climate change is the biggest threat to the world’s coral reefs, causing mass bleaching, among other things
The third global bleaching event, from 2014 to 2017, brought mass bleaching-level heat stress to more than 75 percent of global reefs; nearly 30 percent also suffered mortality level stress. This bleaching event was the longest, most widespread, and most destructive on record.
In order to properly address this enormous challenge, we need to firstly monitor it, which requires regular and accurate measurement, providing scientists with relevant and up-to-date data. “There are efforts to use drones or satellites to collect this information, but you cannot get the high resolution needed to assess the vital complex architecture of reefs unless you are in the water.”
- 2020
- Grantee: Arnold Hui, Cesar Jung Harada, Maria Li, Michael O’Brien, Chicky Ajoy Bhavnani
Michael is an Industrial Designer from Sydney Australia, specializing in Medical Devices and Humanitarian Design. His practice is based on a belief in democratic design and sustainability in design. “If necessity is the mother of invention then we should design for people's needs, not wants”. Michael is undertaking Design Strategies MDes program at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and graduated with honors from the University of Technology Sydney with a BA in Industrial Design and International Studies. Michael has spoken at TEDx and received numerous design awards for his work. His design approach is largely influenced by extensive international experience, with several years spent living, studying, and working in Spain, Mexico, Paraguay, Vietnam, and now Hong Kong.
- Organisation: MakerBay Foundation
MakerBay was established in 2014 by Cesar Jung-Harada, a Japanese-French educator, environmentalist, and entrepreneur. He is interested in experimenting with Nature, Humans, and Technology. Whether it is through Art, Design, Engineering, and Science, it is usually about exploring ways to maximize a positive social and environmental impact. Cesar is passionate about the Oceans, Education, and Invention for Sustainable Development.
MakerBay became a non-profit organization in 2017 and has a core team of 10 people from different backgrounds and nationalities, supported by a large community of scientists, artists, researchers, and experts from Academia. Our mission is to nurture and support Hong Kong youth to develop maker skills and mindsets, to address social and environmental challenges with education, entrepreneurship, research, and innovation. MakerBay has a setup of 8 makerspaces across Hong Kong. Apart from the Headquarters in Tsuen Wan and a smaller office in Central, we also have a setup of 6 makerspaces in youth centres (next to public housing) to better support the local underserved communities. Currently, we are building our first international branch in Cambodia in collaboration with the Government.