LUCKNOW: Day 1 of Defence Expo 2020 turned out to be memorable for a youngster Aliasgar Calcuttawala. Prime Minister Nadrendra Modi gave this innovator a pat on his back for India’s first unmanned water craft, engineered for drowning safety. This equipment was designed by Calcuttawala and his team.
“I never imagined that our work would be appreciated by the Prime Minister, who is my hero,” said Calcuttawala, chief technical officer of Saif Seas, a Visakhapatnam-based start-up specialising in robotics and automation in marine space.
Calcuttawala got the appreciation during the PM’s visit to ‘India Pavilion’-- that displayed all ‘Make in India’ defence equipment on Wednesday.
While underlining the specifications of the rescue water craft, he said this was India’s first such equipment. “It’s for the first time any initiative in rescue robotics has been taken by any private sector enterprise. It is designed to save the distressed. It took around 11 months for us to make it,” he added.
Another official from Saif Seas said the water craft weighs 12 to 15kg and can travel at a speed of 6 to 8 knots. “One water craft can take up to 200kgs, which means around three adults. We can launch it just by throwing it into the water. It has high battery capacity and can travel up to 10km. Its battery can last up to 90 minutes,” he added.
The station of modern combat training solutions was the next stop where the PM tried his hand on a simulator, ‘Zen’ Advanced Virtual Reality System (Zen AVRS). Officials here said the simulator aimed at providing shooting training to defence personnel without actually going on the field. “In this system, the weapon is connected with the sensors through which one can test and enhance aiming skills,” an said official.
{{/usCountry}}The station of modern combat training solutions was the next stop where the PM tried his hand on a simulator, ‘Zen’ Advanced Virtual Reality System (Zen AVRS). Officials here said the simulator aimed at providing shooting training to defence personnel without actually going on the field. “In this system, the weapon is connected with the sensors through which one can test and enhance aiming skills,” an said official.
{{/usCountry}}Among other things, the pavilion houses many other indigenously made defence equipment.