IIT Delhi, IAF To Collaborate For AI Research On Parachutes, Safety Equipment

Indian Institute of Technology Delhi and Headquarters Maintenance Command, Indian Air Force, Nagpur, have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on advancing innovative technologies for aviation textiles, focusing on parachutes and other safety equipment.

The collaboration aims to implement artificial intelligence and robotics or machine learning-based imaging technologies for quality acceptance checks of textile, fabric raw material, or finished products, especially for the development of parachutes, parachute canopies, harnesses, and crew restraint systems.

As per a media release, IIT Delhi and HQ Maintenance will promote research and development in areas of obsolescence management, self-reliance, upgrades, and digitisation for aviation-grade textiles.

According to Group Captain Prashant Pathak, Commanding Officer 16 BRD, AF, some of the areas of interest for collaboration include raw material selection for various parachutes and safety equipment.

“Development of modern technologies and equipment for technical textile or fabric testing and latest standards available for incorporation into product designs related to parachute and safety equipment, implementing AI and robotics or imaging technologies for quality acceptance checks of textile, fabric raw material, or finished products are also among the areas of collaboration,” Pathak said.

“Innovating machine learning-based imaging technology of finished products such as pilot parachute, brake parachute, or cargo parachute canopies, associated harnesses and crew restraint systems, etc. received from the field units for repair, design, and development, reliability studies, simulation studies, life extension studies of parachutes and associated accessories will also be part of the collaboration,” he added.

Rajendra Singh, associate dean, IIT Delhi, also emphasised the importance of this partnership in addressing the Indian defence sector's growing demand for indigenisation.