Drone for disaster management by IIT Madras wins Microsoft challenge

Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered drones to provide precise information about where exactly people are stuck when a disaster strikes emerged as the top winner of a challenge under Microsoft's Academia Accelerator programme here on Tuesday.

The solution was showcased by a team from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras). The other two winning teams of the challenge are also from IITs.

For making a Mixed Reality app that makes basic tasks like communication, navigation and current status monitoring easy for rescuers, the team from IIT Guwahati was judged the first runner up in the competition, Microsoft said.

The IIT Jodhpur team's Internet of Things (IoT)-based solution that acts as an early warning system and takes precautionary measures on detection of disasters was placed third in the competition.

The three winning teams will be awarded Rs 5 lakhs, Rs 3 lakhs and Rs 1 lakh respectively, Microsoft said.

The theme for "Codefundo++ National Challenge" under Microsoft Academia Accelerator was "build state of the art technology to predict or manage natural disasters better".

The winning teams will receive technical and educational support through the AI for Earth grantee community and each winning team will also be awarded $5,000 in Azure credits from AI for Earth.

Launched in July 2017, AI for Earth is a $50 million, five-year commitment from Microsoft to put AI at work for the future of the planet.

"India has immense potential to be a hub of development for AI driven solutions. Microsoft's engagement with the Academia reiterates our commitment to engage and enrich the innovation journey of students in Engineering schools," Chitra Sood, Director Business Management, Microsoft India (R&D) Private Ltd., said in a statement.

Academia Accelerator is one of Microsoft's most comprehensive campus engagement programmes aimed at building a deep, long-term association between industry and academia in India.

--IANS

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