Subhanjan Saha, a 21 year old computer science student at Manindra Chandra College, has made his “drone” come true. A drone made by this talented boy from Kalna has rekindled the memories of “3 Idiots” in many people. Subhanjan has made an unmanned aerial vehicle, with dimensions of three meter by one meter, is remote controlled. Equipped with surveillance cameras it can be a good security weapon to fetch enemy information.
Making of a budding scientist
The desire to design this drone sparked inside him when he got over the traumatic death after his uncle, a BSF jawan, who was killed by infiltrators."The jawans were being fired at from a greater height and they couldn't gauge the source of the bullets. If they had a flying spy camera, they could have located the enemy and fought back. My uncle's death inspired me to try and create an instrument that could be used in such situations. It has been my passion ever since I was a class V student," he said.
A design that cannot be damned
The drone has been built with scrap metal, plastic pieces and electronic components sourced from abroad via online orders. Having a flying capacity of 10 km at a stretch it can be raised at a height between 5,000-10,000 feet. Two 180-degree high-definition cameras are fitted in front and back. Subhanjan has tried to use encrypted technology so that the camera cannot be hacked. Rocket launching and bomb dropping features have been incorporated but it needs upgradation.
It cost Subhanjan 90,000 rupees to accomplish the project. He put to use the award money he collected from winning competitions and also whatever he saved up on his tuition fees. An NGO, Prantakatha, and Abhijit Mukherjee of the SN Bose Centre for Basic Sciences gave him logistic support for this project. He also made two other flying spy cams which look like quadrators.
The road ahead
Subhanjan has written to the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Bangalore-based Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for funds and has sought help to upgrade his drone. This device can be a good addition to India’s weaponry to tighten the security and keep vigil in our country’s disturbed borders.
