IIIT-Delhi signs MoU with Enord for joint research drone navigation

Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Delhi (IIIT-Delhi) has joined hands with Enord, India's first AI-on-edge Drone Tech Startup, to carry out joint research in the field of navigation of drones.

Enord is engaged in the business of designing and developing drones that have an AI pilot system for autonomous navigation, which is capable of flying even in any confined spaces that will ultimately create ease in operating, generating insights, and taking action that does not rely on GPS.

This collaboration of IIIT-Delhi and Enord will work towards developing robust algorithms to enable increased autonomy of drones in GPS-denied environments. IIIT-Delhi houses The Space Systems Laboratory, which focuses on fundamental and applied research in the fields of Global and Regional Navigation Satellite Systems, Space Situational Awareness, estimation algorithms and navigation of space vehicles. The research programs of the laboratory are funded by DST-SERB, ISRO Respond Program and National Supercomputing Mission.

“The use of autonomous drones is rapidly growing in agriculture, defence, power, and telecommunication to increase productivity and reduce operational costs. India's drone market was valued at around 6700 crores in FY2020 and is expected to grow 14.5% by 2026. Our collaboration with Enord will enable the development of indigenous technologies to support the growth of the Indian drone market in alignment with the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems,” Dr.Sanat K Biswas, Principal Investigator on the project from IIIT-Delhi.

The outcome of this joint research will revolutionise the use of drones in industries, providing significant benefits in safety and productivity.