NMIT students develop AI and ML-powered swarm drone technology

A group of Nitte Meenakshi Institute of Technology (NMIT) students developed an innovative swarm drone technology with the goal of enhancing Bengaluru's traffic management system on June 21.

NMIT in collaboration with Dassault Systems Ltd. and La Fondation Dassault Systèmes developed the technology, which will aid in reducing traffic congestion and improving monitoring of Bangalore City traffic using real-time data.

NMIT research associates presented a riveting demonstration and handed over swarm drones to M. N. Anucheth, the Traffic Police Chief of Bengaluru City.

The students were mentored by NMIT's research team, including Dr. P N Tengli, Dr. Srikanth, Prof. Balachandra A, Prof. Siddalingappa P. K., and Prof. Mallappa J, as well as Research Associates Hérren Thomas D'Souza, Soubhonik Das, and Adithya Balachandra.

MN Anucheth praised the students' efforts, saying, "It's extremely encouraging to see such close engagement between top research institutes like IIScs, IITs, and engineering institutes like NMIT with industry leaders across the country. Organizations such as Dassault. In the area of disruptive technology, your ability to be creative and solve problems is simply astounding."

“This technology would be one of the input tools for the ASTRAM application. The drones have been configured to monitor traffic in real time, detect accidents, divert traffic congestion, and identify traffic rule deviators while communicating seamlessly with the control room,” he added.

Dr. PN Tengli, former scientist and director of the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO), elaborating on the significance of swarm technology, stated, "With advanced drone technology, we aim to provide cutting-edge aerial solutions for societal needs, specializing in designing, manufacturing, and deploying high-performance drones. So, our drone technology is changing the potential of airborne solutions with cutting-edge highways by providing unique, dependable, and adaptable solutions.

Dr. HC Nagaraj, the Principal of NMIT, emphasized the importance of research in identifying and addressing difficulties faced by industry, academia, and the ecosystem. He said, "We value our ties with corporations and believe that they help us steer towards the future. Our students built an application to improve traffic management and benefit the agricultural industry."

Herren D. Thomas one of the Research Associates, stated, "As a growing country, India needs innovative technologies to help it flourish in critical areas such as agriculture, urban traffic monitoring, and health facilities. It was an eye-opening experience to work on building a robust communication architecture for our drone system, which enabled real-time coordination and dramatically improved citizens' daily lives. I am excited to continue contributing to projects that promote technological advancement in our country."

NMIT signed an MOU with the Bangalore Traffic Police for the technological progress of drones in tackling traffic problems in December 2023.