The foundation stone of ‘TiHAN-IIT Hyderabad,’ India’s first-of-its-kind Testbed for Autonomous Navigation Systems (Terrestrial and Aerial) is now in place. The Department of Science and Technology (DST) sanctioned Rs. 135 crores for this project under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS). The initiative paves the way for a significant leap in autonomous navigation, upholding the principles of ‘Atmanibhar Bharat,’ ‘Skill India,’ and ‘Digital India.’
Background
Established as a Section-8 company, “TiHAN Foundation” at IIT Hyderabad represents the Technology Innovation Hub for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and Remotely Operated Vehicles (RoVs). Initiated in June 2020, it embodies cooperation across multiple departments including electrical, computer science, mechanical and aerospace, civil, mathematics, and design. This multi-departmental endeavor gains credibility and support from esteemed institutions and industry partners.
TiHAN-IIT: Purpose and Execution
TiHAN-IIT aims to provide a controlled environment to study unmanned and connected vehicles through the emulation of various scenarios. These scenarios range from common occurrences to potential extreme situations that could emerge in real-life traffic operations. Currently, India lacks a facility to test autonomous vehicle navigation. TiHAN-IIT seeks to bridge this gap by developing an exceptional testbed dedicated to connected autonomous vehicles (CAVs). Using technology, these vehicles can communicate with other vehicles, traffic signals, road signs, while also accessing data from the cloud.
The Focus of TiHAN-IIT
TiHAN-IIT’s objective is to address the challenges delaying the real-time deployment of unmanned autonomous vehicles, both terrestrial and aerial. Its primary focuses are on research & technology development, industry collaborations, human resource & skill development, and fostering innovation, entrepreneurship & start-up ecosystem.
Features of TiHAN-IIT
The IIT Hyderabad campus allocates 2 acres of land for TiHAN-IIT with facilities planned in phases. These provisions include test tracks, emulation of real-world scenarios, state-of-the-art simulation technologies, road infrastructure, drone runways, landing area, central control room, and more. The developed testbed will be open to industries, R&D labs, and academia for research and development activities in autonomous navigation.
National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS)
The NM-ICPS seeks the convergence of all stakeholders through strong linkages between academia, industry, government, and international organizations. It focuses on identifying technology needs, developing solutions, and providing technical support in CPS implementation. At its heart, it aims to secure India’s future by establishing a robust Cyber-Physical System ecosystem. This integrated system involves sensors, communication, actuators, interconnected computing networks, and data analytics. Potential applications include driverless cars that communicate securely on smart roads and home sensors detecting health conditions changes. The mission encompasses four main activities: Technology Development, Human Resource & Skill Development, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship & Start-Up Ecosystem along with International Collaborations.
