Season 15 Innovators

About

Capitalizing on his entrepreneurial mindset that drove him to create opportunities from problems and challenges, Aly leveraged his strong curiosity and background in Research and Development (R&D) to embark on his journey in innovation. This passion led him to successfully complete a Bachelor’s degree in Mechatronics Engineering, and he is currently pursuing his Master’s degree in Business Administration at the American University in Cairo. Aly’s academic journey has been enriched with coursework in software engineering and robotics. He also gained valuable R&D experience. Furthermore, he developed multiple underwater robotic innovations for research and competition purposes, providing him with strong technical expertise in the field.

Having grown up watching Stars of Science, he was inspired by its concept and had a strong desire to present his own ideas on the show. After establishing his own startup, specializing in the electrification of marine mobility, he decided to take on the challenge and apply to Stars of Science season 15, eager to present the invention, the latest product in his startup’s product lineup, which he developed for saving lives. 

About the Project 

Aly grew up aware of the dangers of the sea, having witnessed unfortunate incidents where multiple people drowned in Egypt, including those who attempted to rescue them. Seeing the dangers associated with these maritime accidents, Aly was determined to do something to address the problem and has developed a marine drone that can help save lives and mitigate the risks of such accidents.

His project is a smart marine drone that integrates Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity, cameras, GPS, GSM communication, Lidar for obstacle avoidance, and health monitoring devices, allowing the drone to be used for multiple purposes. The drone can be used in a fleet configuration, where such a fleet can be connected to a ground control terminal operated by a lifeguard or other human operator. 

The drone is also connected to a smart wearable device worn by swimmers, which monitors their vital signs such as their geolocation and oxygen level. If the smart device detects any irregularity, it immediately alerts the lifeguard, who in his turn summons the nearest drone to the swimmer’s location for a timely rescue.

Impact

One of the primary attractions for global tourism is the presence of exotic locations with beaches, which entice millions of tourists and locals seeking sun-soaked relaxation and swimming opportunities. This holds true for Egypt as well, where its maritime resources, including vibrant coral reefs, play a crucial role in supporting the country's economy, particularly through tourism and fishing. However, drowning remains a significant concern not only in Egypt, but worldwide.

The invention aims to provide a safe, green tourism experience and greatly expedite rescues at beaches. The project can also be adapted for productivity applications in fish farming and maritime transportation, as well as oil and gas, coastal surveillance, courier services at sea, and many other uses. It provides an assistive option to human powered rescue methods for enhancing its response time. The system integrates the wearables that monitor vital signals from multiple swimmers simultaneously and locate anyone in distress quickly and efficiently. Once alarmed, the lifeguard dispatches the marine drone floating in the water to fetch the troubled swimmer with the lifesaving floater. The swimmer can mount the drone, which is capable of returning to the shore or any pre-designated location. 

In addition to bolstering security at sea, the invention can also accelerate the electrification of maritime transportation to stem the tide of pollution with its Co2-free model and support the recovery of the increasingly debilitated coral reef biome.

Aly ultimately aims to develop the product into a Minimum Viable Product, saving lives and the environment not only in Egypt but also around the world. He also aims to commercialize it and expand its scope and the services it offers.