The Indian Space Research Organisation’s Space Application Centre (Ahmedabad) has developed optical and microwave payloads, that has improved the optical observation capacity from 35 metres to 60 cm, over a period of two decades, said director Tapan Misra on Friday.
The SAC has built specific air-borne electro-optical sensors to meet the exclusive requirements of high resolution and hyper-spectral imaging from an aerial platform, he said, while delivering a lecture on ‘Space Sensors’ at a meeting organised jointly by the Aeronautical Society of India (AeSI) and the Sensors Research Society of India (SRSI) at the Advanced Systems Laboratory, Research Centre Imarat (RCI).
To meet the ever-increasing observational need for a host of applications, various missions were being planned like the NISAR (NASA & ISRO joint venture) – for developing future sensors for earth observation applications like ecosystem structure, land surface deformation, cryosphere, coastal studies & oceanography, disaster response etc.
The sensor technology has changed from electrical transducers to integrated chips visible to microwave. Research was now on sensing applications at higher speeds with more accuracy. Currently, there were 13 operational Earth Observation (EO) satellites, Dr. Misra explained.
Scientific Adviser to Defence Minister and Director General, Missiles and Strategic Systems and the present Chairman of AeSI G. Satheesh Reddy said the world was moving towards highly miniaturised wireless and wearable sensors, hence focused research should be in design and development of futuristic sensors for aerospace and defence projects.
“Breakthrough in sensing technology will revolutionise applications like UAVs for commercial and defence needs besides changing the way we live over next new decades,” said George Rajan Koilpillai, chief engineer, Honeywell Technology Solutions Lab, Bengaluru.
Former Secretary, Defence R&D and current president of SRSI Avinash Chander said a revolution is being expected in medical field, space, defence and environment management through sensors. Y. Sreenivas Rao, Project Director, AD and Secretary, AeSI, also spoke.
