A startup company called IG Drones, which was founded on the campus of the Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology (VSSUT) in the Odisha city of Sambalpur, has developed a five-ghz-enabled drone that can take off and land vertically. Due to the fact that it’s a VTOL (Vertical Takeoff and Landing) aircraft, it can be operated from any terrain as it doesn’t require a runway to take off and land. The drone named Skyhawk can be used in defence and medical applications, among other sectors and the drone can carry a 10 kg payload and has an endurance of around five hours.
Since Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) are now offering 5G services in the country, the drones are able to be controlled much more precisely and can be controlled directly from the command center instead of being on the field. In addition to the addition of Artificial intelligence and thermal imaging capabilities to the drones, they can also be used as a means of monitoring border intrusions as well as regular defense forces patrols. As a result of its IP67 rating and capability of controlling it over a combination of NavIC and GPS navigational satellites, it remains connected in the upper range of 50 to 60 meters when a failsafe is activated and it is also capable of operating via satellite when the Internet connection is not available.
In order to boost first responders’ efficiency and effectiveness in disaster response and catastrophe mapping, IG Drones is developing new technology-based disaster response and mitigation solutions. Through the use of drones and GIS technology, they have saved hundreds of thousands of lives in national disasters such as the Assam Floods, Amphan Cyclone, Fani Cyclone, and Jajpur Flood in Odisha, Maharashtra Flood, and Uttarakhand CloudBurst. IG Drones has developed a SaaS platform for unmanned flight that has been a godsend to the disaster management community, which has helped them ace at People’s Choice Awards.
Also, the SaaS platform interpolates micro-level high-resolution drone data with low-resolution satellite imagery data, which is a key function. Various stakeholders in the pre- and post-disaster ecosystem, ranging from Disaster Management Authorities to Humanitarian Organizations, Growers, and Banks, have used the SaaS Platform for the analysed Drone data to bring together all important actors in an integrated framework to help. It has named them the top drone consultant in India.