DIT organizes impressive demo of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

GANGTOK, 12 Sept: Netra, the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles [UAVs] for rescue and search operations, monitoring rallies, preventing infiltration and other related operations was demonstrated today here at Paljor Stadium.
During the demonstration a UAV was sent up to Kanchenjunga Amusement Park in Ranka across the valley and sent back real-time images on computer sets installed at Paljor Stadium. The demonstration was attended by senior government officials from different departments, East District Administration, senior police officials and personnel and members of TAAS.
Netra has been developed by Mumbai-based firm IdeaForge in collaboration with the Defence Research and Development Organization. The UAV weighs between 1.5 to 2 kg and have a range of almost 3 kms aerial distance and it is also equipped with GPS, which would allow the flight path to be pre-programmed. UAV is mounted with a video camera which sends back video images in real-time to a computer or laptop.
It has been informed that Netras can go to isolated and inaccessible areas from where this device can send real-time images captured by a high-resolution camera and sent to laptops which work as the monitoring device and all signals are sent through a local wireless network. Like the overhead blades of a helicopter carry it upwards, the four propellers in the UAVs also rotate to move it vertically while the horizontal movements are controlled with a remote control. The remote control also helps the user to tilt the camera and zoom its lens at the particular point if needed.
The communication range between the remote and the machine is 1.5 km along the line of sight. Netra had also made an appearance in the Bollywood film “3 Idiots”.
Department of Information Technology Principal Director, Rajesh Verma said UAVs are being used extensively now across the world for rescue and search operations, monitoring rallies and preventing infiltration. He informed that UAVs were used extensively during the recent natural calamity in Uttarakhand to locate survivors and it flew 50 sorties and located 190 stranded survivors who were then evacuated by helicopter. He also informed that UAVs have also been introduced at Kaziranga National Park to prevent poaching of Rhinoceroses. UAVs are portable and can be dismantled and carried in a back pack, he added.
“In Sikkim, UAVs can be useful to Tourism, Land Revenue and Disaster Management, Forest, Transport, Police Roads & Bridges and District Administration. It can be used for locating lost mountaineers and trekkers, locating survivors during natural calamities, surveillance on borders to prevent intruders, jail escapees, illegal felling of trees and illegal grazing,” said Mr Verma.
Some areas where the UAVs can be used are Dzongri and Chewabhanjyang for rescuing mountaineers and trekkers and also Chungthang to monitor landslide prone roads leading to Lachen and Lachung.
“UAV costs around Rs 35 lakh and can be very useful for the state. The IT Department is just a facilitator and is demonstrating the technology to the different departments and agencies”, said the Principal Director further adding that many states have shown interest in the UAV.
IdeaForge Chief Marketing Officer, Amardeep Singh, who is also the co-founder, mentioned that the targeted customers are para-military forces and state police.