Schiebel’s Camcopter S-100 UAS provides situational information during toxic pollution crisis in Malaysia

January 13, 2020 | AUVSI News

During the Kim Kim river toxic pollution crisis in Malaysia last year, Schiebel’s Camcopter S-100 UAS was used to provide critical situational information, the company has announced.

Last March, more than two tons of illegal chemical waste were dumped in the Kim Kim river, which is located near Johor Malaysia, the largest industrial area in the South of Malaysia. This resulted in toxic fumes being released throughout the adjoining area, which impacted more than 6,000 people, resulting in many being hospitalized, and several schools being closed.

In collaboration with Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF), the Malaysia Ministry of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change (MESTECC) put a call out for a first emergency disaster response to analyze and scan the polluted river and adjoining area. The Camcopter S-100 was selected for the task, and the MAF, with support from Schiebel’s partner Three Tis Group, deployed the UAS from March to Sept. 2019 to get situational information of the affected area.

Equipped with FLIR Systems’ Star SAFIRE 380-HDc, which delivers stabilized multi-spectral imaging and intelligence functions, the UAS operated during the day and at night for a total of approximately 30 flight hours.

“The Camcopter S-100 is perfectly suited for emergency response in crisis situations,” comments Tunku Ahmad Zahir Bin Tunku Ibrahim, managing director at Three Tis Group. “Given its small size and innovative technology it is capable of flying in difficult terrain whilst collecting valuable data.”