Omani Student’s Drone-Rover System Gains Recognition After Nepal Flood Rescue Test

Year-13 pupil Kabir Goel of The British School Muscat created a robotic rescue platform that pairs an aerial drone with an autonomous ground rover. The drone captures images, generates a 3-D model and plots safe routes, which the rover then follows to reach isolated victims and supply relief. After a five-day interval, the prototype was demonstrated at Nepal’s National Innovation Center amid the August flash floods that devastated northern and central regions.

NIC’s general manager, Col Sanjay Jha, and Ambassador Dr Sarmila Parajuli Dhakal praised the invention, noting its potential for integration with the Nepali Army’s Disaster Response Unit. Goel’s work, also patented in Germany, builds on his earlier robotics achievements and has attracted interest from senior Omani rescue officials for possible application in the Sultanate’s own flood-prone wadis.