Drones Spray Disinfectant, Fight COVID-19 in Yogyakarta

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Yogyakarta Administration on Friday, March 20, 2020, along with a number of local community organizations sterilized one of the region's notable tourism spots, Malioboro. This collective effort is Yogyakarta's attempt to combat the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) which has infected four people. 

The sterilization also involved Yogyakarta's Indonesia Remote Pilot Federation and Aero Sport (FASI) that mobilized three hexacopter drones that each carries up to 20-liters of disinfectant. 

Unfortunately, FASI was only able to fly one of its drones to run the trial sterilization as the area had too many electricity cables compared to the size of the drone.

The event's coordinator, Kristianus Nugroho Budiantoro, said that the flight of the disinfectant drone had obtained a permit from the local Air Force. 

"The sterilization today is a trial run as only one out of three drones were able to fly," said Budiantoro. "We will do it again several days ahead with more aptly-sized drones [to sterilize] the area."

Kris elaborates that the drone can complete a single trip covering 300-square-meters carrying up to 10 liters of disinfectant. In the COVID-19 sterilization project, FASI's drones are designed to take flight and hover up to 5-meters above ground.

"The drones are actually used to spray agricultural lands, but through slight modifications, we are able to adapt it for a congested space like this," said Budiantoro. 

PRIBADI WICAKSONO