3 Hi-Tech drones by IIT Kanpur students and professors that may become a part of Indian Military operations soon

IITian minds are known for coming up with some brilliant innovations. The newest is a set of three smart multi-function unmanned aerial vehicles by IIT-Kanpur students and professors which seem to have swept the Indian military off their feet even before they have had a glimpse of it.

Professors here say that a defence team is likely to visit the institute soon to see a demonstration of these UAVs. They are contemplating its use in surveillance in insurgency-hit areas as well as in battlefields for various operations.

Cheaper than those currently being sourced from foreign countries, these UAVs are fitted with electro-optical and thermal cameras and are ready for mass production.

FEATURES OF UAVs

SWATI - Silent Watch Aircraft For Tactical Intelligence
Running on either fuel or batteries, it requires a small runway of only 50 to 80 meters and can keep an eye on 100 km radius. It can stay in air for about eight hours when using petrol and for four hours with batteries.

AMITA - Autonomous Man-packable Intelligent Tactical Aircraft
This does not require a runaway, can be hand-launched and weighs just six to eight kgs. It can remain in the air for more than three hours.

The third UAV is still in process. It's prototype has been developed. 75% of the power requirements of this UAV is met by solar energy, thus increasing its endurance. It's bigger in size and can get charged while flying.

The credit for these innovations goes to Prof Philip who has worked on the development of these UAVs along with Prof AK Ghosh, Prof Nischal Verma, Prof Satyaki Roy and 30 other students from IIT Kanpur.

(Picture credit: IIT Kanpur website)