Indian investment in MAV technology.
Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) has been entrusted with the Rs 100 crore Design and Development of Micro and Nano Air Vehicle Project to be deployed in countering terrorism and insurgency during low intensity conflicts, Dr Prahlada, Chief Controller (R&D) DRDO commenting today in Mangalore.
Speaking after inaugurating the three-day All India seminar on ‘Micro and Nano Air Vehicles,’ jointly organised by National Design and Research Forum (NDRF) and the Institute of Engineers (India), Dr Prahlada said as many as 30 institutions across the country, including colleges and universities were involved in the project.
Stating the DRDO was committed to supporting the Para Military Forces involved in maintaining internal security, Dr Prahlada said the Micro Air Vehichles (MAVs) would play a vital role during low intensity conflicts, surveillance, reconnaissance, fire, floods, earthquakes, gas leads, search and rescue, explosive detection and several other applications.
According to Prahlada, DRDO has the capability to build MAVs as small as 300 mm and weighing 300 gms. Efforts are on to bring it down to 100 mm to 200 mm and to less than 200 gms, he told reporters. “MAVs are small, almost bird-like. They are accurate and they cost very less,” Prahalada said, adding, “they can be manufactured in big numbers very, very cheap.”
Meanwhile, Former IISC Professor and founder of Drone Aerospace Systems Dr. Krishna Venkatesh has been invited to give a presentation on his findings on MAVs during the Knowledge Utsav, India’s largest R&D conference. The conference will witness the largest ever presentation of over 400 research papers across 44 disciplines and more than 100 inspiration talks.
The conference is organized by EDU.IN in association with Tumkur University and Jain Research Foundation (JGi). It will be held on August 28, 2010, Saturday at the Jain University, Global Campus, Kanakapura Taluk, Bangalore Rural.
Dr. Venkatesh is also one of the key members of the research paper review panel. Some of India’s leading Scientist and Researchers are part of this panel. Out of total 420 papers which will be presented at the Knowledge Utsav, the panel will be selecting around 250 research papers which will be published in some of the leading publications around the world.
