Malaysian researchers have found a new use for waste from processing pineapples:
馬來西亞研究人員發現了菠蘿處理過程中所產生的廢料的新用途：
making parts for small, pilotless aircraft drones.
製作小型無人機配件。
Researchers developed a method to use pineapple leaves to make airframes for the drones.
研究人員研發了一種利用菠蘿葉製造無人機機身的方法。
Pineapples are harvested once a year in Malaysia.
菠蘿在馬來西亞每年收穫一次。
The leaves are thrown away because there is little use for them, until now.
菠蘿葉都被扔掉了，因為它們沒什麼用，直到現在都是這樣。
Professor Mohamed Thariq Hameed Sultan is the director of the project.
穆罕默德·塔裡克·哈米德·蘇丹教授是該專案的負責人。
He teaches at Malaysia's Putra University.
他在馬來西亞博特拉大學任教。
He has been trying to find uses for pineapple waste created by farmers in an area around 65 km from the capital Kuala Lumpur.
距離首都吉隆坡65公里的一個地區有農民們所產生的菠蘿廢料。穆罕默德·塔裡克·哈米德·蘇丹教授一直在努力尋找該廢料的用途。
"We are transforming the leaf of the pineapple into a fiber that can be used for...a drone," he told Reuters.
“我們正在將菠蘿葉轉化為能用於無人機的一種纖維，”他告訴路透社。
Mohamed Thariq explained that natural materials can be better than man-made ones.
穆罕默德·塔裡克解釋說，這種天然材料可以比人造材料更好。
They are less costly,
它們的成本更低，
lighter and stronger when compared by weight.
比較重量方面，它們更輕、更結實。
Experimental drones made of the new material have been able to fly up to about 1,000 meters,
這種新材料製成的無人機原型機能夠飛到約1000米的高度，
and stay in the air for about 20 minutes, he added.
並在空中停留約20分鐘，他補充道。
If the drone is damaged, the frame can be buried in the ground,
如果無人機損壞，機身可以被填埋地下處理，
and will fully break down within two weeks, he said.
它會在兩週內完全降解，他說。
The research team hopes to create a larger drone that is more profitable to sell.
該研究團隊希望製造出一種更大的無人機，其銷售利潤更高。
It would include sensors for agricultural purposes and to take pictures.
這些更大的無人機會配備有用於農業用途及拍照的感測器。
The Malaysian Unmanned Drones Activist Society is a non-governmental group helping to design the drone and advising on the project.
馬來西亞無人機活動人士協會是一個非政府組織，該組織幫助研究團隊設計無人機，併為該專案提供建議。
William Robert Alvisse is a member of the group.
威廉·羅伯特·阿爾維斯是該組織的成員。
He said: "Our role here is to help the industry,
他說：“我們在這裡的角色是幫助該行業，
the farmers, to increase their yield and make their jobs much easier.”
幫助農民提高產量，讓他們的工作變得更輕鬆。”
Farmers hope that the new use for pineapple leaves will lead to higher incomes for themselves and their families.
農民們希望菠蘿葉的這種新用途能給他們自己和家人帶來更高的收入。
Irwan Ismail is a pineapple farmer.
伊文·伊斯梅爾是一名菠蘿農。
Ismail said Malaysia is suffering from economic and health problems from the spread of the coronavirus.
伊斯梅爾表示，由於冠狀病毒的傳播，馬來西亞正遭受經濟問題和健康問題的困擾。
"Society is desperate and there is no alternative to increase income," he said.
他說：“社會陷入了絕望，除了增加收入別無選擇。”