NIT Rourkela develops India’s first autonomous drone system for real-time land mapping, secures patent

In a major technological breakthrough, researchers at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Rourkela have developed BHU-MANACHITRA, India’s first autonomous drone-based system capable of generating real-time land maps without internet connectivity or external computing support. The innovation has been granted an Indian patent (No. 573507).

The project was led by Prof. Sambit Bakshi, Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science & Engineering, along with researchers Dr. Tanmay Kumar Behera, Dr. Debbrota Paul Chowdhury, and Ms. Camellia Ray. The system was jointly patented with the IIT Patna Vishlesan I-Hub Foundation, which funded the work under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber Physical System (NM-ICPS) of the DST.

Unlike conventional UAVs that capture images for later processing, BHU-MANACHITRA uses a lightweight deep-learning model to identify farmlands, forests, vegetation, and urban patches instantaneously. Operating entirely onboard, the drone can classify land features even in remote or disaster-hit regions lacking communication networks.

Officials explained that India’s land-mapping processes currently rely heavily on manual surveys or drone imagery that requires laboratory-based analysis—often leading to long delays and inconsistent outputs. The new system addresses this gap by offering real-time, stable, and fully autonomous mapping.

The technology is expected to significantly support sectors including urban planning, agriculture, natural resource management, environmental monitoring, and disaster response. During emergencies such as floods or landslides, the system can provide immediate terrain data to aid quicker decision-making.

“The invented methodology uses a lightweight AI model with just 2.48 million parameters, enabling on-board processing without heavy hardware,” Prof. Bakshi said. “This makes the system practical for lightweight drones designed for longer flight durations.”

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The institute noted that the innovation aligns with national missions such as Digital India and Atmanirbhar Bharat, offering new opportunities for smarter governance and more efficient field-level operations across the country.