Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Ramadan 17, 1445 H
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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

A HIGH FLYING LOVE

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Even at a young age, Mohammed Talib al Raisi has always loved flying. The idea of flying in the air floating like a dandelion and playing with the clouds was something that has always been in his head.


He spent hours flying kites imagining what it was like to be moved and swayed by the wind in every direction.


When he was only 12 years old, Mohammed flew his first ever remote control aircraft. It turned into a hobby.


As the boy grew into a man, his love for flying kites and remote controlled airplane shifted to racing cars. He loved the sound of roaring engines and motors and while he likes the idea of fast cars, he has never forgotten about the skies.


Mohammed’s relatives believed that his love for fast cars and flying was attributed to a ‘son following in the footsteps of his father.’


Mohammed’s father was an army pilot that served in the country’s defense force. Many who knew Mohammed are of the opinion that he was born to be a pilot.


A few years later, the now more confident Mohammed went on to study aircraft technology after he finished school.


In 2013, Mohammed participated in the ‘Oman Talent Show’ held at the Sultan Qaboos University where he was chosen to be in the top 10 best talents in the country.


In the said talent show, he went against 100 other participants from all over the region.


At the event, he won first place and later that year he went on to achieve many other accomplishments one of which is winning the Gulf Championship of RC aircraft held in Kuwait.


In the years that follow, Mohammed attended more events and contests and came home always victorious. He was making not only his family but also Oman.


Destiny didn’t fail to give him what he deserved. Today, Mohammed al Raisi, along with his friend Zaid Al Lawati, another Omani captured by the flying bug, both own Modern Innovation Land, a startup that specialised in 4th industrial revolution technologies, products, and services. They are also engaged in making and experimenting with speed machines made possible with remote control technology.

Zaid too was enchanted with flying when he was just 10-years old and same with Mohammed, he went on to become a degree holder in Information System and Science and eventually specialised in remote-controlled planes and drones.


Zaid has also made quite a name for himself. He was a winner in remote-controlled planes competition in Oman run by Gasoline Planes. His traffic project that uses artificial intelligence (AI) technology was chosen to be the best in the information systems department.


“We are passionate about flying and our goal in Innovation Land (MIL) is to identify wherever we can fit into with the latest technology in flying and to cause a paradigm shift in the idea that RC hobby is an expensive one to pursue”, Mohammed and Zaid both said.


MIL is said to be the only company in the Gulf region that specialised in designing remote-controlled indoor & outdoor models and the only company in Oman engaged in RC planes and the first company that provides a fully integrated remote-controlled drone.


The duo, a perfect example of teamwork, has designed some unique models such as the flying bike, reverse system plane, and twin, remote-controlled plane and motor planes which weighed anything between 30 grams to 200 grams.


It is this duo’s idea and drone technology that is behind the nation’s ambitious project of planting 1 million date palm trees across the Sultanate which will later stretch to several million. Their drones will be busy flying atop these palm trees and fertilising, diagnosing diseases and helping in pollination throughout its various stages.


Their contribution to the Royal Oman Police (ROP) is in the form of traffic remote controlled plane that can survey accidents.


“The plane is connected to GPS and laptop and I am able to analyse all the data and suggest suitable solutions to the traffic situation in any particular locality,” Zaid shared.


“We want to prove that ‘made in Oman’ technology can become a good asset and can solve a lot of problems by using the 4th industrial revolution in different sectors,” the duo shared.


Both Al Raisi and Al Lawati have been delivering several lectures on drones, robotics and aircraft models in different colleges across various regions of Oman.


“We, at Innovation land, are striving every day to make this hobby a common and reachable hobby to everybody in Oman while we keep exploring and inventing drones that are based on artificial intelligence that can serve different sectors such as Oil & Gas, Agriculture, and Traffic,” they shared.


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