By Troy Gillard

High-flying thinking

RDC grads recognized for creating flying Wi-Fi hotspot

Oct 1, 2019 | 11:46 AM

A group of grads from Red Deer College was recently recognized for creating a flying Wi-Fi hotspot that allows people in remote locations to access a cell signal where there is none.

The team of six was named as a Capstone Project of the Year Award finalist by the Association of Science and Engineering Technology Professionals of Alberta (ASET).

Cellular coverage outside urban areas in Alberta can be intermittent, especially where terrain is rough or forested, ASET notes. Existing solutions include constructing additional cell towers, using satellite phones, or driving or hiking to higher elevations to connect with a cell signal.

The RDC team equipped a small drone with specialized radio equipment to enhance cell service reception. Capable of autonomous flight, the repeater drone can be rapidly deployed in the event of an emergency. It can reach an altitude of up to 200 feet and project a Wi-Fi signal over a wide area, allowing calls to be made and texts to be sent. Taking off and landing on its own, it recharges its battery on the landing pad.

Team members include Jonathan Wong, Austin Wong, Austin Smith, Denon Magnes, Kyler Sereda and Garrett Stewart.

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Jonathan Wong says the flying Wi-Fi hotspot costs up to 40 per cent less than constructing a portable cell tower, takes half the amount of time to set up, has no road restrictions, and is less pricy than a satellite phone.

“Currently, in areas where no cell service is available, industries are limited to only a few solutions, many of which involve big or bulky devices or curtail the number of users. The repeater drone was designed to build on the shortcomings of existing telecommunications options,” said Wong.

The Capstone Awards were established by ASET in 2017 in response to overwhelming member interest in back-to-school stories about Capstone projects undertaken by teams of engineering technology students from NAIT, SAIT, Red Deer College, and Lethbridge College as part of their end-of-program requirements.