Barbadian talent shines at BMS sea drone competition

Barbadian ingenuity took centre stage on Saturday as the Barbados Meteorological Services (BMS) hosted the finals of its first-ever sea drone design competition, showcasing a wave of homegrown innovation and technical skill.

Director of the BMS, Sabu Best, hailed the initiative as a major step toward building local capacity in emerging technologies, while commending competitors and partner agencies for bringing the ambitious project to life.

“This started all the way back in October when we conceptualised this idea of trying to use local talent… to actually create some useful tools – sea and aerial drones”, Best said, noting that the competition was designed as a foundation for future development. He added that the long-term vision is to refine these innovations so they can be utilised by government and private sector entities “in a rightful and legal manner”.

Best stressed that the competition required extensive collaboration and regulatory oversight, with support from agencies such as the Barbados Civil Aviation Authority, the Prime Minister’s Office, and the Ministry of Industry, Science and Technology.

He also expressed being pleasantly surprised by the level of creativity on display. “Some of the designs looked really innovative… they built them themselves,” Best said, noting that several entries exceeded expectations in both size and ambition. However, he emphasised that participation and problem-solving were more important than aesthetics.

“For me, it’s not about how it looks… It’s about the will and trying to get involved. Once you get there and you know the concept can work, then you can start tweaking and making a design that’s more efficient,” he explained.

Emerging at the top of the competition was Antonio Franklyn, whose sea drone design was inspired by a catamaran concept.

“It’s a tried and tested concept,” Franklyn said. He revealed that while the design phase took just “three to four days”, construction spanned approximately two months.

Still taking in the moment, the winner admitted the achievement had not yet fully sunk in. “The feeling hasn’t set in yet for sure… but for right now it feels good,” he said. (SB)