- IITRAM student innovators win ₹2 lakh for autonomous aerial minefield navigation at one of India’s biggest robotics contests
- Multi-UAV system for hazardous, GPS-denied zones impresses GUJCOST jury, advances to prototype stage
- Victory reinforces IITRAM’s rising stature in drone technology, robotics and applied engineering research
NE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY BUREAU
AHMEDABAD, JAN 23
In a major boost to Gujarat’s student-led deep-tech innovation ecosystem, a student team from the Institute of Infrastructure, Technology, Research and Management (IITRAM), Ahmedabad, has clinched a ₹2.00 lakh prize at ROBOFEST–GUJARAT 5.0, one of India’s largest and most competitive robotics platforms.
The award was secured under the “Aerial Minefield Navigation Challenge”, organised by the Gujarat Council on Science and Technology (GUJCOST), Gandhinagar, recognising IITRAM’s cutting-edge work in autonomous aerial systems for hazardous and GPS-denied environments.
From Concept to Prototype: A National-Level Recognition
As per the official communication from GUJCOST, the IITRAM project has successfully advanced from Level II (Proof of Concept) to Level III (Prototype)—a significant milestone that underlines the project’s technical soundness, innovation depth, and real-world applicability.
The competition evaluates solutions with potential applications in defence, disaster response, infrastructure safety, and unmanned systems, making the IITRAM team’s achievement particularly noteworthy.
Smart Drones for Dangerous Missions
The award-winning project focuses on the development of an autonomous multi-UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) system capable of:
- Safe navigation in minefield-like terrains
- Real-time hazard detection
- Coordinated mission execution among multiple drones
By integrating onboard sensing, embedded intelligence, and inter-drone communication, the system significantly reduces dependence on external infrastructure such as GPS, enhancing robustness, reliability, and operational safety in high-risk scenarios.
Student Innovation at the Core
The winning team comprises Husain Lokhandwala, Falgun Baria, Adidev Shah, and Dhyan Patel, all undergraduate students from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, pursuing the Minor in Drone Technology programme at IITRAM.
The project was mentored by Dr. Ajit Kumar, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, IITRAM, whose guidance played a key role in translating classroom learning into a scalable, high-impact prototype.
What IITRAM Leadership Says
Congratulating the students and the faculty mentor, Prof. P. K. Jain, Director General, IITRAM, said: “This achievement highlights IITRAM’s growing emphasis on hands-on learning, interdisciplinary research, and student-driven innovation in emerging areas such as drones, robotics, and autonomous systems.”
Offering insights into the project’s broader relevance, Dr. Ajit Kumar, Team Leader and Faculty Mentor, remarked: “The project was conceived to address navigation and coordination challenges in environments where conventional systems fail. The students have demonstrated strong systems thinking, engineering rigour, and teamwork in developing a solution with clear real-world relevance. Recognition at Robofest Gujarat is a strong validation of their effort.”
Strengthening Gujarat’s Deep-Tech Talent Pipeline
The win further cements IITRAM’s position as a hub for applied research and future-ready engineering education, particularly in domains aligned with national priorities such as unmanned systems, robotics, and autonomous technologies.
