THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Noting that the number of drone users is increasing in Kerala, drone-based technologies can be put to use in near future for executing various tasks such as disaster management and distribution of medicines and essential food items, said IT Secretary M Sivasankar. He was inaugurating a one-day workshop on ‘Open Drone Summit’ organised by the International Centre for Free and Open Source Software (ICFOSS) at B-Hub, Mar Ivanios Vidyanagar, Nalanchira, on Sunday.
Referring to the key role of drones in disaster management, Sivasankar said: “This workshop could handsomely come out with a set of paradigms that enable development of technology for people, which could support decision-making in a meaningful fashion on the overall developmental and infrastructure planning process.”
In the event of a natural disaster, drone-based technologies can be applied for critical tasks like delivery of medicines, food and even transportation, he noted.
Sivasankar also unveiled the ‘Flying Wing Drone’ developed by ICFOSS, promoted by the Kerala Government. Its design is available on the website of ICFOSS and people can adopt and modify it to make their own drone. The occasion also marked the formal launch of Open Drone Community in the state.
Over sixty drone enthusiasts attended the workshop, where extended interactions were held on various topics, including drone mapping. Researchers at ICFOSS published their works on Open Drones and allied applications along with demonstration of completed projects and models.
A presentation on “Regulatory environment for operation of drone in India” by R S Santhosh, Joint General Manager, Air Traffic Management, Airport Authority of India, was also held.
The event also saw individuals and organisations showcasing their works on drone technology. Jayashankar Prasad, Director, ICFOSS; and Dhayalan R, Asst Professor, Department of Aerospace Engineering, IIST, Thiruvananthapuram, were also present on the occasion.
The Drone/GIS development team at ICFOSS, engaged in research on 3D modelling and GIS analysis using low-cost drones for the public, has developed two fully functional and working prototypes that are presently used for data acquisition for GIS applications.
These models include a Hexacopter and a flying wing, which are capable of flying fully autonomous flights. These open designs will enable any person to create a flying wing for less than Rs 10,000, which can be used with a bundle of free software like Open Drone Map to develop and analyze 3D models.