Mühendislik ve Doğa Bilimleri Fakültesi

Our Students' “Unmanned Aerial Vehicle” Project Wins Second Place at Teknofest Cyprus

Istinye University’s Quantum Dynamics Club students achieved second place in the TEKNOFEST 2025 Northern Cyprus finals with their project titled “Early Detection, Intervention, and Soil Protection System for Stubble Fires Using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)”.

The UAV developed within the scope of the project conducts patrol flights during high-risk fire seasons. Using image processing algorithms, the system detects fire outbreaks and creates a boundary line near the fire zone with an eco-friendly biological compound that prevents the flames from spreading. This special compound not only halts the progression of the fire but also enriches the soil and can be used as fertilizer.

Thanks to its high water retention capacity, the compound also facilitates firefighting efforts and helps prevent the fire from spreading to nearby forests.

Zeynep Sude Gülfidan, a third-year Mechanical Engineering student, described the teamwork-based project:

“We focused on stubble fires after learning that around 30% of forest fires are caused by them. If we can stop stubble fires, we can prevent a significant portion of forest fires. Stubble burning is already banned in our country and many parts of the world. With this project, we aimed to raise awareness among farmers.”

The award-winning team includes:

Zeynep Sude Gülfidan – 3rd year, Mechanical Engineering

Tuana Harmankaya – 2nd year, Software Engineering

Ebru Çepni – 3rd year, Computer Engineering

Sıla Pirim – 3rd year, Mechanical Engineering

Enes Durudeniz – 1st year, Computer Engineering

Oktay Baş – 2nd year, Software Engineering

We proudly congratulate our students for their outstanding success and contribution to sustainability and innovation!