IIT Guwahati drones to feature in Republic Day show

GUWAHATI: Drones developed by the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati start-up, Drones Tech Lab, will be performing a drone show at the Republic Day event in Kamrup district, the first of its kind in the North-East region, stated a press release.

The drones developed by IIT Guwahati start-up Drones Tech Lab have been successfully providing solutions in several domains such as disaster management, agriculture, survey, and mapping. Drones Tech Lab, one of the start-ups at IIT Guwahati Research Park, has been at the forefront, technologically and creatively, in promoting disaster management caused by Cyclone Amphan by offering drone technology to aid frontline workers.

Over the years, these drones have been notable for being instrumental in handling some main challenges in the Northeast and eastern parts of India. First, Majuli has the issue of incessant flooding, which not only leads to loss of lives and properties but also erodes a significant part of the island. Secondly, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation faces dengue challenges every year, which results in the loss of lives as well.

To solve these problems, a drone-based mapping solution integrated with post-process kinematics was deployed to aid absolute accuracy and remove the need for GCPs (Ground Control Points) for absolute precision. With this drone solution, along with mapping payload and GIS (Geographical Information System) software, they covered 5-6 sq km in one day compared to 1-1.5 sq km if they had used traditional methods. Also, they deployed a combination of mapping drone and heavy payload drone solutions capable of spraying 10-16 litres of liquid over 6-7 acres of area uniformly within 9-10 minutes.

Speaking about the participation of IIT Guwahati start-up Drones Tech Lab, Prof TG Sitharam, Director, IIT Guwahati mentioned that since the inauguration of the Drone Centre at IIT Guwahati, there have been several projects where the use of drones is sought for faster data collection, whether it is a land survey, river mapping, agriculture, and healthcare and disaster management. IIT Guwahati will maximize its efforts to provide drone-based services to the State and the region, considering the difficult terrain.

The present drone show at the Republic Day event will help in publicizing this technology for the benefit of the masses.

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