The team “Surya” from the Computer Science and Engineering Department of Sharda University, located in Knowledge Park, Greater Noida, secured second place at the All India ISRO Robotics Challenge held in Delhi. The system’s special feature is the use of self-developed new algorithms for navigation, localization, and automatic landing. These were tested at ISRO’s URSC Satellite Centre in Bengaluru. The award was presented by the Minister of State for Space and the Director of ISRO.
Dr. Parmanand, Pro Vice-Chancellor of the university, said that 510 teams participated in the competition. Out of these, 222 teams were selected for the preliminary round. Then, 177 teams reached the qualification round, followed by 37 teams in the elimination round. Finally, only 16 teams, including those from IIT, NIT, and IIIT, reached the final field round at ISRO URSC Satellite Centre, Bengaluru. Here, Sharda University’s team proudly secured second place in the whole country.
Sudip Varshney, Head of the Computer Science and Engineering Department, shared that under the leadership of team leader Kartik Pandey and co-lead Muskaan, along with member Prashant and guided by mentors Rani Astya and Jitendra Singh, the team worked on this project. The university also provided financial support for the project. Team Surya designed and developed a UAV system that can work completely in a GPS-free environment. The UAV drone can locate itself using an onboard navigation system, automatically find safe landing areas, and land precisely on its own.
This team was also honored by President Droupadi Murmu with the third prize at the All India ISRO Rover Challenge 2024.
University Chancellor P.K. Gupta congratulated the team and said, “Our aim is to empower students and help build a developed India. This journey, which started last year, is the result of hard work, innovation, and teamwork. Winning this award is not only a celebration of our success but also a motivation to continue advancing robotics and strengthening India’s space innovations.”
