Entries Open for Second Edition of US$ 1 Million Award for Civilian Application of Drones Technology

• 'UAE Drones for Good Award' to accept submissions from individuals, teams, universities and companies from around the world

DUBAI, UAE, June 15, 2015 /CNW/ - The 'UAE Drones for Good Award', which offers a top prize of US$ 1 million to the winners, has announced that entries to the second edition of the award will be accepted from Monday, June 15, 2015. The award in its first edition was a hugely successful event, attracting more than 800 submissions from 57 countries.

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The 'UAE Drones for Good Award', which is open to individuals, teams, universities and companies from around the world, aims to encourage innovation in the civilian application of drones technology and promote the development of legal frameworks in this area.

The main categories of the award include, but are not limited to: Environment, Education, Logistics, Transport, Construction & Infrastructure, Healthcare, Civil Defence, Tourism, Social Services, Economic Development, Humanitarian Aid & Disaster Relief.

Submissions for the award, which also features a National competition, will be accepted until November 1, 2015. Participants can register through the Award website (http://www.dronesforgood.ae) along with submissions of their videos and proposals. The proposals will be reviewed by a judging panel of global experts following which 10 applicants from each category in the International and National competitions will be selected for the next round which will be announced on November 22, 2015.

The semi-finalists will be brought to Dubai to present a working prototype and give a live demonstration of their ideas in front of the panel of judges, which includes high-profile experts and specialists in drones technologies. The members of the panel of judges will be announced at a later date. The winners will be honoured at a special ceremony in February 2016 before the fourth Government Summit in Dubai.

Applicants are required to suggest new ways of improving an existing service using drones, or offer new services that could be implemented through these technologies. In addition, the projects should be semi- or fully autonomous and use the most advanced civilian technology available. They should also be safe and economical.

The 'UAE Drones for Good Award' was launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, during the second Government Summit in February 2014. In the first edition of the award, a collision resistant drone by Swiss team Flyability won the US$1 million prize in the International Competition while Wadi Drones by Matt Karau received the AED 1 million prize in the National Competition.

For more information about 'UAE Drones for Good Award', please visit: http://www.dronesforgood.ae

SOURCE The 'UAE Drones for Good Award'