KNUST Students Build AI-Powered Drone to Fight Galamsey in Ghana: "New Hope"
- Engineering students at KNUST designed a high-altitude drone to combat Ghana’s widespread galamsey activities
- Their drone innovation offered safer intelligence gathering, reducing the risks of violent confrontations
- Dr Ashigbey had called on the government to invoke a state of emergency in communities ravaged by galamsey
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Some students from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) have developed a technological solution to address one of Ghana's most pressing challenges: Galamsey.
Source: Twitter
YEN.com.gh understands that the team of Aerospace Engineering students from KNUST developed the drone as part of their final-year project.
During an interview with Volk Live, a local media outlet, one of the final-year students took the bold step to present their innovative project, a UAV (drone) designed with a specific requirement.
According to the student, the technology was designed to combat the country's prevalent illegal mining problem.
Their innovation follows the August 6 Ghana Air Force helicopter crash that killed eight Ghanaians who were on their way to Obuasi for an anti-galamsey assignment.
KNUST students build drone for Galamsey surveillance
According to the students, their motivation was to create a technological solution that would overcome the constant failures of human engagement with the galamsey crisis.
Source: Twitter
When asked about the possibility of people damaging the drone with a gun or a club, he pointed out the possibility of the drone reaching a height at which it would be difficult for human weapons to be used against it.
"The drone is designed to fly at a very high altitude, making it difficult to shoot down," he stated.
From this presumed safe height, it uses an onboard AI system to survey mining sites and automatically identify and classify elements associated with illegal mining.
This allows authorities to gather intelligence and monitor activities without risking a direct and potentially violent confrontation with armed miners.
In simple words, it offers a safer and more effective tool in the fight against illegal mining.
See the post below:
Dr Kenneth Ashigbey speaks on tackling galamsey
Meanwhile, the Convenor of the Anti-Galamsey Coalition, Dr Kenneth Ashigbey, had called on the government to invoke extraordinary measures, including a state of emergency, in communities ravaged by illegal mining.
The convenor advised that galamsey must be recognised and tackled as a grave threat to national security.
In his words:
"We need to deal with this as a national security crisis, and it ought to be dealt with."
"Another thing we have been talking about is the state of emergency; we're not saying state of emergency in the whole of the country, not even the whole of the district."
"This particular community, this thing is happening, declare a state of emergency."
Watch the video of Dr Kenneth Ashigbey speaking below:
Sam George urges presidency to crush galamsey
YEN.com.gh had earlier reported that Samuel Nartey George, the Minister for Communications, called on President John Mahama to intensify the fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
He emphasised that curbing the galamsey menace would be the best way to honour the eight victims of the recent military helicopter crash.
Sam George made these remarks while speaking to the media at the final funeral rites for the victims of the tragic helicopter crash, held at the Black Star Square on Friday, August 15, 2025.
Proofreading by Samuel Gitonga, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
