IIT pioneers radical surveillance, tracking technologies

The Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IITK), has developed cutting edge surveillance and tracking technologies, which will be vital in identifying the exact location of mobile phone users and the train positions.

The new tool is expected to be of immense aid for the investigation agencies like Intelligence Bureau (IB), Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The new system would provide information about the exact position of the cellphone user rather than the currently technology, which provides information regarding the BTS tower. This would enable the investigating agencies to nab the terrorists and criminals with much ease.

The current tracking system provides information regarding the BTS tower only, which leaves the agencies searching for the person in the range of 35 kilometres. A professor of computer science department told Business Standard that the department had been working on the technology since 2004 on the request of Union home ministry.

“The software has been tested and found successful. The lost mobile had been tracked with perfect accuracy, which was impossible before,” said Prof Shukla. “However, the technology will not be able to perform if the target mobile is switched off,” he added.

The institute has also completed a three-year exercise to digitally map the 7,000-odd railway stations in the country in collaboration with the Rail Designs and Standard Organisation (RDSO) to roll out a satellite-based train tracking system.

The system would give real-time information on a train’s status to passengers and enable mobile train radio communication, national-level rail traffic management and anti-collision mechanisms.

The railway ministry is already planning to implement it on all its 10,000-odd trains in a phased manner. IIT Kanpur has submitted a proposal to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), relating to design and development of a micro satellite which would boost the country’s surveillance capabilities further.