Sri Lanka’s first drone shines at National ICT Awards 2023

QubeBots CEO Eng. Tharindu Suraj with State Minister of Technology Kanaka Herath

X-Fly 1.0, Sri Lanka’s first-ever homegrown commercial drone platform, won two prestigious awards at the National ICT Awards 2023. 

This micro-scale quadrotor drone developed by QubeBots Ltd is making waves, particularly in the educational and research sectors. 

X-Fly was honored with the Gold Award in the Educational Product category and achieved the Bronze Award as an overall winner. X-Fly is a compact drone designed for STEM education. Weighing a mere 35 grams and measuring just 9cm x 9cm, it’s perfect for indoor learning. Unlike traditional drones, it can fly autonomously without GPS, making it an exceptional tool for experimentation in classroom environments.

The visionary mastermind behind X-Fly Eng. Tharindu Suraj said: “This is one of the most advanced tech projects in Sri Lankan history. We aimed to break free from the dependence on imported drones and embark on creating our own. With this vision in mind, we brought X-Fly to life.” 

The inception of the X-Fly project began with discussions involving the Sri Lanka Air Force and the Civil Aviation Authority. Recognising its immense potential, the ICT Agency of Sri Lanka provided the initial funding required to manufacture the first batch of these groundbreaking drones. X-Fly’s competitive price and robust construction have already garnered attention within the international drone community, signaling a promising future for this innovative Sri Lankan creation.