Guwahati: Indian Institute of Technology-Guwahati’s (IIT-G) Aeromodelling Club has indigenously developed different types of drones that can be used for surveillance, target identification and tracking, inventory management and delivery.
Aiming to develop smart drones with an easy interface for common people to interact with drones, the club has created different types of drones, including a ‘warehouse drone’ for warehouse management, ‘reaper drones’ for military and law enforcement, ‘ornithopter’ drone based on the design of birds which can be used for surveillance in tight spaces, for wildlife photography, and ‘RAVEN,’ an indigenously developed VTOL (Vertical Takeoff and Landing) capable fixed-winged aircraft.
Apart from these projects, students have also developed a drone capable of firing at targets with high precision. The firing mechanism is designed in such a way that it returns to its previous position waiting for the pilot’s command for the next firing.
“I have watched the students of the Aeromodelling Club work very closely, and the amount of passion and effort they put into developing aerial robots is just amazing. Their consistent top performances in both internal and external competitions speak for themselves,” Prof. Chivukula Vasudeva Sastri, department of chemistry, IIT-G, said.
Set up as an informal group in 2013 by students interested in aerodynamics and registered as an official club of IIT Guwahati in 2015, the Aeromodelling Club has been associated with multiple events both within and outside the campus.
Over the years, the club has been conducting training workshops in various fields like aircraft design, computer vision, and RC aircraft hardware. Off late, they have even managed to secure the seed fund from TIC IIT Guwahati to develop ‘Reaper’ for commercialization
Sharing his experience on working on drones, Rishikesh Das, a third year student from the department of mechanical engineering, IIT-G said, “I have always been fascinated by radio-controlled (RC) aircraft. It has been a wonderful opportunity for me to explore aircraft design and understand the aerodynamics of planes.”
“The number of potential drones has excited me even more. Working on projects at the club is a wonderful feeling, to be able to contribute to society and find answers to existing problems,” he said.
Likewise, Hemant Pandey, a third year student from the department of chemical engineering, IIT-G said, “It is the process that I enjoy in making drones and planes. To ideate, innovate and come up with feasible solutions to complex problems fuels my passion. Every competition we participated in and every project we have worked here at the aeromodelling club has inspired us to do more. We work together as a team and aim to develop smart drones.”
Warehouse Drone: In a real-world scenario, warehouses are one of the most difficult places to maintain with various repetitive tasks such as inventory management or moving objects to different places. Any failure in doing these tasks on time can cause heavy financial losses. To avoid human inefficiency, IIT Guwahati innovators developed a drone to eliminate such labor-intensive duties that involve time consuming repetitive physical work.
Reaper: Reaper is an indigenously developed unmanned aerial vehicle designed primarily for military and law enforcement usage such as patrolling, target identification and tracking, among others. It has a wingspan of 1.8m, and weighs around 3 kg with a payload of 1-1.5kgs for additional sensors. It comes with a modular design to facilitate transport and can be easily deployed by a single person. It has a range of 15-20 km and an average speed of 60-70 km/h.
Ornithopter: Contrary to existing drones relying on propellers and static wings configurations, student innovators of IIT Guwahati have developed an aerial drone. Ornithopters flap their wings to generate forward thrust. The complex relationship between aerodynamics and wing movements allows birds and insects to fly in ways that are impossible for conventional drones.
The major advantages that come with such a flying device are that they can take off and land slowly in tight spaces yet might quickly soar upwards to perch like a bird. The weight of such a device is also very less (700g)which minimizes the risk of injury if it collides with a person in flight.
RAVEN: This is an indigenously developed VTOL (Vertical Takeoff and Landing) capable fixed-winged aircraft that can change from vertical flight to forward flight. It is primarily a delivery drone that can also be used as a surveillance drone. Because of its VTOL capability, it can operate in the remotest of places without the need for a runway. So, it can be useful while delivering food and first aid in times of calamities.
EASTMOJO PREMIUM
Help sustain honest journalism.
Apart from encouraging students to harness creativity, technology and innovation in aeromodelling, the club has, since its inception, been successful in leaving its mark as a dominant figure in the inter IIT Technical events, winning consecutive silver medals for DRDO’s problem statement (2019 and 2020) for IIT Guwahati.
The club has also participated in Drone Utsav 2021, and NERC (North East Research Conclave) 2022, conducted at IIT Guwahati showcasing various prototypes of their innovations.
In 2022, when the Indian Meteorology Department issued a red alert warning to citizens against heavy rainfall in certain areas in Assam, which were already flooded, the club deployed their drones and conducted surveys to identify safe spots where flood relief payloads could be landed safely.
Also Read | Assam Governor Mukhi releases 2023 calendar on birds