The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) this week held field trials of various modern equipment, including unmanned aerial and marine vehicles, and technologies, like extended reality, at the headquarters of the 5th Battalion at Sudumbare in Pune.
In the trials held on May 10 and 11, 10 firms showcased technologies and gadgets that can be used in disaster response scenarios. The exhibited technologies were related to situational awareness, including drone-based aerial mapping and advanced image analytics, field capabilities in maritime technologies, including unmanned marine surface vehicle and underwater surveillance, and communication technologies and gadgets based on extended and virtual reality.
The trials were held in coordination with AGNIi (Accelerating Growth of New India’s Innovations) Mission. AGNIi is a programme of the office of the principal scientific adviser to the Government of India, and a mission under the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC).
The field trials were conducted under the supervision and guidance of NDRF Director General Atul Karwal, Inspector General N S Bundela and other senior officers of NDRF from Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The NDRF is a dedicated force that handles disaster-related response duties.
