Hyderabad: IIT Hyderabad’s Technology Innovation Hub on Autonomous Navigation (TiHAN) on Saturday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Andhra Pradesh Drones Corporation (APDC) to support the development of the proposed ‘Drone City’ in Kurnool and strengthen the wider drone ecosystem in the state.The MoU was signed in the presence of Union civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu and IIT-H director Prof BS Murty. Under the agreement, TiHAN-IITH will serve as a technical and knowledge partner to APDC, providing technical expertise, research inputs and strategic support for the planning, development and operation of the ‘Drone City’ and related initiatives.TiHAN is a technology innovation hub at IIT-H focused on autonomous navigation and related technologies, including unmanned aerial systems. Its expertise will be combined with APDC’s role as the AP govt’s nodal agency for drone technology and ‘Drone City’ development.The collaboration will cover drone research and development, UAV platforms, sensors and payloads, artificial intelligence and machine learning, autonomous systems, communication technologies and unmanned aircraft system traffic management. The two organisations will also work on testing, policy, standards and best practices for drone operations and ecosystem development.The partnership will also focus on skilling and capacity building through curriculum development, specialised training modules, certification programmes and workshops for govt officials, industry stakeholders, startups and students. Joint research projects, proof-of-concept projects, pilot programmes and innovation challenges are also planned under the MoU.Prof BS Murty said the partnership would bring together AP’s vision for ‘Drone City’ with IIT-H’s strengths in research, technology development, testing and innovation. He said the collaboration could create opportunities for researchers, startups and industry while supporting the development of advanced drone technologies in India.
