A Follow up on https://palepurshankar.blogspot.com/2019/10/shaastra-2020-student-defence.html
Happy Deepawali!
May the
festival of lights which ultimately celebrates victory of good over evil bring
joy to your families and friends.
I am celebrating Deepawali by bringing forth an update
on the Defence Technology Summit being conducted by students of IIT Madras as
part of Shaastra 2020 (https://summit.shaastra.org/#home)
mostly
in their own words.
The Defence Technology Summit is on track and will be held in IIT Madras from 3-5 Jan 2019.
The Defence Technology Summit is on track and will be held in IIT Madras from 3-5 Jan 2019.
Defence
Innovation Challenge
The response for the
flagship event – the Defence Innovation Challenge has been terrific. Over 700
participants have registered themselves to participate in this event. To remind everyone, the Challenges will
be in the field of defense on three tracks AI, Robotics and AR/VR,
Robotics
To design a swarm of 5 ground-bound robots working, using a collaborative efficient algorithm and mesh communication system in a
dynamic obstacle environment
Artificial Intelligence
To build an end to end NLP analysis application to
detect, classify and translate audio from various
sources.
Augmented and Virtual Reality
Augmented and Virtual Reality based high fidelity
aircraft training simulator for training pilots on a selected or generic
fixed/rotary wing aircraft in various terrains and flying conditions with near
realistic feel of flying profiles such as valley flying, low level flying,
basic air combat, night flying ( moon light
conditions and dark night conditions) etc , integrated with georeferenced
satellite pictures and terrain maps.
While the response has been heartwarming for the
competition, the organizing students are still awaiting a sponsor from Industry
for the Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Track. For the first time the
best and brightest youth of our nation are putting their mind to real life problems
as defined by Armed Forces. I am quite hopeful
that the Industry will respond by coming forward to sponsor the Augmented
Reality Challenge since the IPR will be theirs! If they do not, the Indian
Industry and MOD cannot blame anyone except themselves if the Indian Armed
Forces procure this technology from abroad after a long delay at a huge cost multiple. Prospective
sponsors can contact the student organising committee for further details.
Shaastra
and the International Summit
Participation
The Military College of Telecommunication
Engineering (MCTE) has indicated that it will participate in the event. That is
great news for the students. They now await other technical institutions of the
Army , Navy and Air Force to come forward to participate.
The Summit Highlights
The Summit promises to be very interesting in many
ways. Discussion with the students
indicate that "the
sphere of defence is in the mezzo of a massive revolution driven by
technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Computer Vision and
Machine Learning", and they want to enter into this field and make the
Summit a platform for start-ups, professionals and students interested in the
field of defence technology. It augurs well for India. The broad events of the summit are as under.
Keynote Address.
The key note address will be delivered by Dr G Sateesh Reddy, the current
Chairman of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and
Director General of the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA).
The Defence Start-up Ecosystem in India - The Way Forward. There will be a panel discussion on the
topic to kickstart and encourage our best and brightest to get into the field of
defence startups. Panelists will include professionals from start-ups and
government officials from the Ministry of Defence so that all angles are
covered.
The
Importance Of UAVs In A Modern Defence System. Students envisage that future warfare will involve
more technology and fewer humans. They feel that the world
awakened to the immense potential of UAVs in the development of a truly
unmanned force. With China making rapid strides in this field it is imperative
that India must prioritize UAV development. This issue will be discussed in detail.
The
BrahMos Missile. The BrahMos missile became the first
missile in the world to be tested at supersonic speeds in a steep-dive mode and
it immediately captured the imagination of the Indian public. The participants
will be exposed to this missile system.
Counterterrorism. In the 21st
century, the world is incessantly at war with the forces of terror and the
primary purpose of armies’ world around is to keep the forces of terror at bay.
Thus, counterterrorism is a major component of defence. Technology
can augment the battle against terror and it will go a long way in the protection of
our country. Hence a fireside chat on counter terrorism and its connect with technology in operations is being organized.
Advances and
The Future of War Game Simulations in Indian Defence Systems. The
impossibility of implementing a military tactic or policy before proper testing
is the basis behind the field of war game simulations. The more operational
realism a war game or simulation confirms to, the less will be the deviation
from expected results during implementation. Participants will be exposed to the
world of war games simulations in India.
Information
Warfare. The next World War may not be fought on land
but through computers, smartphones and social networks. Information and data
form one of the cornerstones of modern warfare. The ability to protect data is
as much a necessity as that to extract it. This will be discussed in detail.
Disruption of Defence Technology By AI . Defence technology is in the throes of a seismic
shift brought about by the development of AI and robotics. The incorporation of
AI into the design of defence systems is an absolute necessity to improve
performance and develop a truly autonomous fighting force which can minimize
the threat to human life during such operations. Thus, the disruption of the
defence sector by AI seems inevitable and it is the need of the hour for
defence technology start-ups and manufacturers to prepare for the same. There will
be a panel discussion on this issue.
Cyber Security Workshop. The security of data pertaining to a defence
system is of paramount importance. To acquaint the participants with the
nuances of cyber security and data protection a cyber security workshop is on
the cards.
Cryptographic ‘Enigma’ Game. The importance of decoding encrypted data has
been a part of the defence sector since times immemorial. The purpose of Enigma Game is to showcase the perennial importance of encryption
and decryption techniques in defence systems.
The
Defence Expo
A Defence Expo is being organised. It will be an exhibition of
the products of nascent defence technology start-ups, established manufacturers
and the military. It will be conducted
over the course of the 3 days of the Summit. it will introduce participants to the nuances of various products in the industry and serve as a
networking platform for start-ups to obtain mentors, inspire college
students to join the defence sector and provide them with internships. The Expo
will be open to the general Shaastra audience on all 3 days. A large footfall
of nearly 75,000 is anticipated.
The Summit participants will be given the
opportunity to visit the Kattupalli Shipyard of L&T on 6th of
January
.
Registration
The registrations
for the Defence Tech Summit have
already begun on the Shaastra website - https://summit.shaastra.org/register. The students have an early bird offer on
registration fees too! It is valid till
the 29th of October.
Personal Views
This is certainly a great initiative by the students. The entire canvas of disruptive technologies and their impact on warfare is being covered. Essentially they are talking of Disruption in Military Affairs. Very farsighted indeed. They have surprised me with this trait of balanced farsightedness at every turn of this prospective event from the time they approached me to guide them to organise it. I think it is up to all Defence Industry professionals to come forward and make this event a success. Since it is in the success of such embryonic events that success of India lies. All defence industry professionals and Defence Start ups may get in touch with the organisers of Shaastra to participate in the event.
Seems to be an exciting event for Technical Students and young Engineers and Entrepreneurs. I am happy that a senior officer of Artillery has ventured into the academic world of Technology in IIT to build bridges between Institutions of higher education and the user like Indian Army. Wishing you all the best for the success of the forthcoming event under your leadership.
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