Two students of Dubai Men’s College have used sensors and computer software to control the function of evaporative coolers. Sultan Salem Salmeen and Masoud Ahmad Kamali, who are in their senior year at the college, are trying to transform the oldest form of air-conditioning used by ancient Egyptians and Bedouins into modern air coolers.

Unlike a typical air-conditioner, evaporative coolers use water to bring down temperatures in a building, hangar or workshop, reducing heat by up to 15 deg C.
Using a software called LabView, Salmeen and Kamali can collect humidity and temperature data, which are then fed into a computer. Their four-in-one system includes an evaporative cooling module, a pump, an electronic controller and sensors.
According to a study, evaporative coolers can be used in factories, hangars, workshops, and to pre-cool air-conditioners, which leads to power savings of about 50 per cent. It was also found that temperatures could dip by up to 15 deg C and create a comfort zone that extends far beyond the area of evaporation.