Assam youths develop AI-driven traffic management platform for drones

Guwahati: As drones revolutionise military, commercial and other activities, an imperative need for 'traffic management' of these flying objects has emerged with a start-up by two entrepreneurs from Assam providing solutions for it.

Already working with the Indian Air Force for detection and counter-measures of drones, the duo has now come out with an intelligent airspace management platform, which was launched at the 'East Tech 2023', a two-day defence expo which concluded on October 11.

"While most companies are making drones, we are focusing on drone airspace management as it's equally important for sustainable growth of the drone ecosystem. Just like automobiles require road traffic management to run safely and efficiently, the same analogy applies for drone airspace," Manash Bhuyan, Managing Director and Co-founder of AVGARDE, told PTI.

Avgarde Systems Pvt Ltd (AVGARDE), co-founded by Manash Bhuyan and Nilutpal Choudhury in 2018, is a startup incubated at IISc Bangalore, and IIT Guwahati.

It is a radio frequency and wireless technology-focused deeptech start-up building an AI-driven object sensing platform for low-altitude airspace management.

Both founders have relocated from Dubai and Germany respectively to pursue their passions.

It has announced launch of 'DeepSense', a platform addressing complex challenges presented by drones in terms of their operational environment which needs to be managed efficiently and effectively to ensure the safety of aviation, public, operators and other stakeholders.

The platform has various applications across multiple market segments, including airports airspace safety, critical infrastructure protection, drone fleet operations, unmanned traffic management, security monitoring, aerospace and defence, amongst others, they claimed.

Explaining the functioning of the AI-based platform developed by the company, Nilutpal Choudhury, CEO and Co-Founder said, "We have already put in place technologies through which drones can be identified, tackled and their movement inhibited. A 'bird detection and monitoring radar' (BDMR) is also among our products which can prevent 'bird aircraft strike hazard' (BASH) for airport operators and ensure aviation safety."

16/10/2023 PTI/Times of India

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Farming takes to the skies: IIT Kanpur and CSAU to work jointly on agricultural drones

India's agricultural sector has welcomed several innovations over the last few years. Adding to such new tools and technology, IIT Kanpur and Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture have decided to collaborate on a project, aimed at creating efficient agricultural drones.

Currently, an Agricultural fair is underway at the CSAU in Kanpur. Several other new innovations and technologies in the field of agriculture are being introduced and discussed at the ongoing fair. Additionally, an awareness campaign for farmers is also being conducted at the fair to make them adept at using the latest technology to boost their crops and profits.

As part of the Agricultural fair, IIT Kanpur and CSA University have decided to come together to build agricultural drones. Based on the initial reports, these drones will have the capability to oversee crops, ensure safety, and sprinkle fertilizers and pesticides in fields.

11/10/2023 Aditya Vikram/Knock Sense

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Mumbai Airport Commissions Disabled Aircraft Recovery Kit To Tackle Runway Excursions

India’s second-busiest airport, Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, has commissioned special equipment to help manage a runway incident more efficiently. The device is called Disabled Aircraft Recovery Kit (DARK) and is capable of lifting even heavy widebody planes, should the need arise.

Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) has equipped itself with a special machine to help deal with runway excursions or similar incidents much more efficiently.

CSMIA has commissioned a specialized Disabled Aircraft Recovery Kit (DARK) with high-pressure lifting bags to lift even heavy aircraft such as the Boeing 777s. In the event of a runway excursion involving a disabled or damaged aircraft, this powerful equipment is expected to quicken the recovery process by requiring minimal human involvement and decongesting the runway faster. The Deccan Herald quotes a CSMIA spokesperson as saying, “DARK, a remarkable addition to CSMIA's infrastructure, empowers the airport to respond to such scenarios with unparalleled precision and efficiency, hence minimizing disruptions and reducing the impact on travellers.”

Mumbai has become the first airport in Asia to have such equipment. The lifting bags of this machine are quite durable, and the process of recovering an aircraft after an incident follows a sequence of steps involving everything from ground preparation to eventually lifting and towing of the plane. DARK is believed to offer far better results than other low-pressure bag equipment.

As powerful as the DARK is, it is also relatively easy to handle. It has a compact design, which helps in easy transport to the incident site and can be handled with relatively fewer trained individuals. Mumbai Airport has already trained its firefighting and rescue staff on how to handle the machine, covering various aspects from ground stabilization to de-bogging procedures and everything in between.

10/10/2023 Gaurav Joshi/Simple Flying

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Delhi Airport likely to get air train for seamless travel — What we know so far

New Delhi: In a bid to make travel simple, the aviation authority is likely to introduce the long-delayed air train at the Delhi airport. It is learnt that Indira Gandhi International Airport officials are considering two options for a transit system to ease commuting between terminals. The options are – six km route with four stops or eight km route with six stops. This change is intended to provide a seamless connection between Terminals 3 and 2 on one side and Terminal 1 on the other, thereby minimizing the current road congestion.

The civil aviation ministry had been sent a proposal for an automated passenger mover (APM) from Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL). In addition to user development fees (UDF), the proposal proposes user development fees (UDF) to address the viability gap.

According to sources, DIAL has been asked to consider the Airports Authority of India’s recommendation that it adhere to the original master plan for Delhi airport. According to sources, the air train route will be 6 kilometers long with four stations at T1, Aerocity, the cargo terminal, and T3.

The Singapore-based consultant hired by DIAL to evaluate the alternatives favoured the eight-kilometer route with six stations. The two additional stations are proposed for the hotel and office districts of Aerocity. Due to the increased foot traffic at these stations, DIAL may be able recover Rs 2,500 crore of the project’s cost. In different countries, the use of an air train to travel from one airport terminal to another is free.

01/10/2023 Shaheryar Hossain/NewsNine

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