13-year-old students aim to become champions at Teknofest: ‘It makes us feel like we are flying’

In Bolu, the drone designed by 13-year-old Hasan Demirkol and Haluk Murat attracted great attention at the Bolu Technology Festival. Haluk Murat, who said that wearing the goggles connected to the drone gives the feeling of flying, stated, ‘The flight was very nice. I want to be a UAV/UCAV pilot in the future.’ Bolu Technology Festival, where projects prepared by schools in Bolu were exhibited, took place in the courtyard of Izzet Baysal Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School. 7th-grade students from Akşemseddin Hafız İmam Hatip Middle School, Haluk Murat and Hasan Demirkol, participated in the festival with the drone they designed. The 13-year-old children who designed the drone for the 2023-2024 academic year received external help only for the software. Haluk Murat, who experienced the flight by wearing the goggles of the drone, said, ‘It makes us feel like we are flying.’ The next goal of the children who showcased their drone at the Bolu Technology Festival is to participate in Teknofest and become champions. Speaking about the drone, Haluk Murat said, ‘The goggles of the drone provide live visuals directly. We put it on our eyes like regular glasses. It provides live visuals while flying. It makes us feel like we are flying. We designed it. We got the parts, assembled them. Hasan, I, and a senior who wrote the software worked on this. Three of us designed it.’ Haluk Murat, who experienced flying the drone at the festival area, said, ‘The flight was very nice. I want to become a UAV/UCAV pilot in the future. I have started working on it. I am enthusiastic. I want to gather better ones.’ Hasan Demirkol, who expressed his desire to participate in Teknofest and become champions with the drone they designed, said, ‘The battery provides us with 10 minutes of flight. We used a carbon fiber base. Carbon fiber is generally used in drones. The flight was successful. We had a nice festival. We also showcased our drone. Our drone received a lot of attention. We thank our teachers who organized the science fair. Our next goal is to win the Teknofest championship.’ At the festival at Izzet Baysal Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School, students exhibited their scientific projects in biology, chemistry, physics, and engineering fields.