In a bid to curb the spread of COVID-19, the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati students have developed a drone with an automated sprayer to sanitise vast areas and replace one-and-a-half day’s worth manual work less than 15 minutes.

The students have collaborated with the Assam and Uttarakhand governments to fight Coronavirus which has grappled the country, infecting as many as 1600 people.

Anand Mittal, a civil engineering student from IIT-G, claims that the drones are crash-proof and just need the assistance of one person to operate. It can be handled using a mobile application and can also record videos of their work. The drone has been equipped to adjust itself to terrain height and avoid obstacles, Mittal said.

‘The drone will help in sanitizing large areas by just one person spraying and monitoring using a mobile app, hence eliminating the need for more cleaners who use manual spraying disinfectant,’ Mittal said, adding that it will help in following the World Health Organisation’s advisory on social distancing as well.

Students claim that the area that needs to be disinfected can be selected on Google maps and the drone can be automated to perform the task within a signal range of 3 km.

It can cover more than 1.2 hectares in one flight and more than 60 hectares in a day.

Each drone has a lifespan of five years and the students can provide a 12-month warranty for each machine. Mittal said they could manufacture 15 to 20 drones within 20 days.

‘A single drone can replace around 20 workers, which can be really helpful in the current situation. Once we get a go-ahead, we can make 15 drones within 15-20 days and next 50 by the end of this month,’ Mittal said.

As the country witnesses a swell in number of COVID-19 patients, the students of IIT-G have come up with a very significant innovation that can help to curb the spread of the virus drastically.

Also Read: Bengaluru Civic Body Is Using Drones To Spray Disinfectant In Public Places Amid Coronavirus Scare