Dubai: In a bid to inspire local endeavours in the fields of science, medicine and technology, Emirati inventors exhibited their innovations and spoke about their experiences at the Burj Khalifa Annex near Armani Hotel on Saturday.
The Emirati Innovation Day, organised by the Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation (MBRF), came as part of the activities of the ongoing Nobel Museum exhibition, which wraps up on April 30.
Jamal Bin Huwaireb, Managing Director of MBRF, said that the UAE is rich in talent and genius, and Emiratis have demonstrated excellence in all fields. “We have a number of inventions and discoveries with as many as 67 patents approved during the past two decades. Certainly, the figure will rise in the coming years, establishing the UAE as a centre of excellence and innovation.”
Dr Capt Rashed Al Ghafri
During his PhD studies at the University of Central Lancashire, UK, Dr Capt Rashed Al Ghafri, 28, who works for Dubai Police, wanted to return with a scientific innovation that could be applied in the field of forensic science. He came back with a system that could irrefutably identify a male sexual offender.
“In simple terms, it’s a new profiling system for the Y chromosome,” Al Ghafri said. His variety of the test can zero in on a male sexual assailant. The system is already being put to use by Dubai Police.
“The test, which is a solution-based one, can recognise the differences in DNA samples that exist between male relatives,” he said. “This way a suspect won’t use some ridiculous alibi like ‘it wasn’t me, it was my cousin’.”
Adeeb Al Beloushi
Eleven-year-old Adeeb Al Beloushi, the first Emirati child to figure among eight most genius children in the world, said his most recent invention is a smart firefighter’s helmet.
“Basically, it is a waterproof and fireproof helmet with a camera, GPS, night vision and microphone attached to it,” he said. The camera streams live to the operations room and with the microphone it allows for seamless communication between the firefighter and personnel at the operations room. The GPS locates a firefighter in the event of an accident, while the night vision automatically switches on if there is too much smoke.
Al Beloushi cites his parents and the country’s leaders as his primary source of information. “Whenever I face a problem, I solve it through an invention,” he said.
“I plan to add certain features to the medical apparatus,” he said, “like a hydraulics system to aid movement. I’m also going to waterproof it.”
The grade six student has already visited a good portion of the world in his quest for learning and developing his inventions. He has visited the Nasa headquarters in the US, France, Germany, Italy and Belgium, to name a few.
Mohammad Al Marzouqi
During a project with Adnoc, Mohammad Al Marzouqi, Professor of Chemical Engineering and Vice Dean of engineering at UAE University, saw there was a need to determine just how much hydrogen sulphide, a colourless gas with the characteristic foul odour of rotten eggs, was present in a gas mixture.
“The presence of this gas brings down the value of a natural gas sample,” he said. “It is especially problematic in the oil and gas industry as it can damage equipment, cause a depreciation in the gas value and render natural gases impure. Therefore, it needs to be detected and removed.”
About two years ago, Al Marzouqi invented an apparatus that could identify hydrogen sulphide in a gas strain by up to 100 per cent ppm (particles per million).
Al Marzouqi said it took about three years to invent the device, which he has now patented in the US and Japan.
