GUWAHATI: As drones continue to revolutionise various industries, the need for effective traffic management in the airspace for these flying objects has become increasingly imperative.
Addressing the challenge, two entrepreneurs from Assam – Manash Bhuyan and Nilutpal Choudhury – have founded Avgarde Systems Pvt Ltd (AVGARDE), a deep-tech startup incubated at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, and the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati.
AVGARDE has already made a significant impact by working with the Indian Air Force on the detection and countermeasures of drones. Now, the duo has unveiled their latest innovation—an intelligent airspace management platform called DeepSense, which was officially launched at the East Tech 2023, a two-day defence expo that concluded recently.
Bhuyan highlighted the importance of drone airspace management, likening it to road traffic management for automobiles. “Just like automobiles require road traffic management to run safely and efficiently, the same analogy applies for drone airspace,” he told the press.
AVGARDE’s DeepSense platform is built upon radio frequency and wireless technology, featuring AI-driven object sensing capabilities that are essential for the management of low-altitude airspace.
According to Choudhury, their platform includes technologies for drone identification, countermeasures, and even a “bird detection and monitoring radar” (BDMR) to prevent “bird aircraft strike hazards” (BASH) for airport operators, thereby enhancing aviation safety.
The company has collaborated with the Indian Air Force and oil and gas companies, working closely with both military and civilian use cases to improve their platform continually. The experience gained from the Indian Air Force partnership provides critical insights that contribute to further enhancements of their solutions.
Bhuyan noted that with the increasing use of drones, there is a convergence with conventional aviation airspace that must be managed effectively to prevent collisions, near-misses, delays, and disruptions.
As the drone industry continues to grow, the role of startups such as AVGARDE becomes increasingly vital in ensuring the safe and efficient operation of these unmanned aircraft, both in military and civilian settings.
