Drone tech to help in rescue & relief ops

NEW DELHI: A team of students at IIT Madras has developed a drone technology that can help in rescue and relief operations, especially after natural disasters. "The solution is beta-ready and can be deployed. It is currently being tested and would reach the commercialisation phase within six months," said Ayush Parasbhai Maniar, student member, UAVs for Disaster Management, Centre for Innovation (CFI) -- Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras. "The iterations to improve every feature would continue. The team's artificial intelligence (AI)-based solution is used in combination with drones that use swarm intelligence to collect data and analyse it in real-time. The project is being executed with data inputs from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). The drone, or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), will have a software that will be compatible with standard drones available in the market. "Thus, for the physical drone we would be partnering with a drone company," Maniar said. This IIT team has also won. 10 lakh in funding from the Indian Innovation Growth Programme (IIGP 2.0) University Challenge, a programme conducted by the department of science and technology along with global defence manufacturer Lockheed Martin Corporation and Tata Trusts. "This solution is based on innovation based on futuristic disruptive technologies.