Latest news with #GlobalNavigationSatelliteSystem
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Hindustan Times
Tech leap: Move over, Musk! PAU unveils AI-powered self-driving tractor
While Elon Musk's self-driving car, Tesla, is creating a lot of buzz with its India launch, the experts at the Punjab Agricultural University here have come up with an AI-powered tractor that promises to take agri operations to the next level. The tractor uses advanced technologies, such as sensors, GPS, and artificial intelligence (AI) to navigate fields, perform tasks including tilling, cultivating and seeding, and avoid obstacles, eliminating the need for a human operator, says PAU's vice-chancellor Satbir Singh Gosal. (Gurpreet Singh/HT) The tractor uses advanced technologies, such as sensors, GPS, and artificial intelligence (AI) to navigate fields, perform tasks including tilling, cultivating and seeding, and avoid obstacles, eliminating the need for a human operator, says PAU's vice-chancellor Satbir Singh Gosal. The autonomous tractor will be powered by a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)-based Auto-Steering System. 'The technology, uncommon in Indian farm machinery, enables tractors to operate key implements like disc harrows, cultivators, and PAU's smart seeder with minimal to no human inputs,' Gosal said adding that once a farmer keys in inputs, the tractor will combine satellite signals, sensors, and a touchscreen console to steer tractors accurately—even in low visibility—while reducing errors, fatigue, and resource wastage. College of agricultural engineering and technology, dean Manjeet Singh said the technology has shown remarkable results, including up to 12% increase in field capacity, 85% reduction in fatigue, and a 40% drop in labour requirements. 'Built for precision farming, the technology can help farmers take care of their land using field implements like disc harrow, cultivator, rotavator, and PAU-smart seeder without manual input, with decision-making tasks handed over to artificial intelligence,' Gosal said during the demonstration of the auto-steering system fitted tractor. Key components of the system include a GNSS receiver for accurate positioning, a wheel angle sensor to track steering movement, and a motorised steering unit. The ISOBUS-compliant console allows for advanced features such as auto turns, skip-row functionality, and custom turn patterns. The operator can switch between manual and automatic modes with a single button. ISOBUS is a standardised communication protocol used in agricultural and forestry machinery. 'It ensures consistent steering even in low-light conditions, reducing fatigue, overlap, and missed areas during fieldwork. This system has basically three things: GPS, sensors, and a computer. There is a tablet in front of the driver's seat. Once the data is keyed in, the decision is taken by artificial intelligence. The driver is assisted by the technology here to optimise the process,' Gosal added. Field data from PAU trials show the system's advantages over manual steering. With manual steering, field implements like disc harrow, cultivator, rotavator, and PAU-Smart Seeder showed overlaps between 3 to 12%. With the auto-steering system, these overlaps dropped to about 1%. Missed areas reduced from 2 to 7% to under 1%. The system maintained an impressive pass-to-pass accuracy of ±3 cm, leading to better resource use and consistent crop establishment, the PAU data added. Gosal, the technology has become ubiquitous abroad. 'This system has been developed with the help of a US-based company, which provided the tablet. This is something the PAU will back and recommend. The tractor will be taken to melas and various agri events to show farmers its advantages. We hope that with demand, the tech will be adopted in India by the companies,' Gosal added. Gosal noted that the launch of this system reflects PAU's decisive push towards digital transformation in agriculture. Director research Ajmer Singh Dhatt said: 'Scientific and scalable solutions like the auto-steering system are the future of Indian agriculture.'
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Indian Express
Move over Tesla, Punjab agri univ get farming future ready as it tills a field with driver-less tractor
A tractor tilling a farm is nothing unusual in Punjab. But a tractor tilling a farm on its own, without a driver in saddle to steer it, is surely unusual. This unusual sight was seen Monday as Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) unveiling its Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)-based auto-steering system for tractors with a live demonstration at its research farm. The tractor in question, with a cultivator attached, moved through the farm creating furrows and raising dust, even navigating the turns and bends with ease, evoking whoops of joy from onlookers. Vice-Chancellor (V-C) of the university, Dr S S Gosal, later termed the live demonstration as a major milestone in 'PAU's transition from conventional farming to digital, precision-based agriculture'. The GNSS-based system, he said, facilitates driver-less movement of the tractor. The computer-controlled system uses signal receivers, sensors and cameras for smooth navigation in precision agriculture and reduces human effort. Gosal said that the 'auto-steering system is a satellite-guided, computer-assisted tool designed to automate steering during tractor operations'. 'By combining signals from multiple satellite constellations with sensors and a touchscreen control console, the system guides tractors along accurate, predefined paths. It ensures consistent steering even in low-light conditions, reducing fatigue, overlap, and missed areas during fieldwork,' Gosal said. Key components of the system include a GNSS receiver for accurate positioning, a wheel angle sensor to track steering movement, and a motorised steering unit. The ISOBUS-compliant console allows for advanced features such as auto headland turns, skip-row functionality, and custom turn patterns. The operator can switch between manual and automatic modes with a single button. 'Field data from PAU trials show the system's strong performance. With manual steering, field implements like disc harrow, cultivator, rotavator, and PAU smart seeder showed overlaps between 3 to 12 per cent. With the auto-steering system, these overlaps dropped to about 1 per cent. Missed areas reduced from 2 to 7 per cent to under 1 per cent. The system maintained an impressive pass-to-pass accuracy of ±3 cm, leading to better resource use and consistent crop establishment,' the PAU said in statement Gosal said that the launch of this system reflects the PAU's decisive push towards digital transformation in agriculture. The university is not just embracing technology for the sake of innovation, but as a necessary shift to keep farming profitable, efficient, and sustainable, he remarked. He pointed out that digital tools like auto-steering not only improve productivity but also lighten the physical burden on farmers. Dr Ajmer Singh Dhatt, Director of Research, PAU, observed that advancements including machine learning, sensor networks, and navigation technologies are essential in view of shrinking natural resources and rising input costs. According to him, scientific and scalable solutions like the auto-steering system are the future of Indian agriculture. Dr Rishi Pal Singh, Registrar of PAU, recalled how the university's innovations recently received national recognition when the Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan operated PAU's sensor-based, remote-controlled paddy transplanter during a demonstration in Patiala. The university also held a live demonstration of the remote paddy transplanter. Dr Manjeet Singh, Dean, College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, explaining the university's remote-controlled two-wheel paddy transplanter, said that the machine allows farmers to operate from shaded areas, drastically reducing exposure to heat and humidity during transplantation. He said the technology has shown remarkable results, including up to 12 per cent increase in field capacity, 85 per cent reduction in fatigue, and a 40 per cent drop in labour requirements. Both the driver-less tractor and the remote paddy transplanter may go a long way in cutting down on labour costs too, experts said. The university also informed about its progress in precision irrigation. The Centre for Water Technology and Management is developing (internet of things-) IoT-based irrigation systems that monitor soil moisture, water levels, and weather in real time. These systems automate irrigation scheduling for crops like rice, wheat, maize, and summer moong. Trials in Sangrur have shown improvements in water use efficiency, reduced greenhouse emissions, and lower energy and labour input.
Time of India
08-07-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
Govt mandates real-time weather tracking at large solar, wind plants; CEA issues strict AWS rules
New Delhi: In a major move to standardise real-time weather tracking at large renewable energy projects , the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has notified stringent technical guidelines for Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) at solar and wind power plants across the country. Every project of 50 MW and above will now be required to log encrypted weather data at 15-minute intervals, store it for six months, and transmit it securely to national agencies. The guidelines—released in July 2025—are aimed at improving accuracy of renewable generation forecasts, strengthening grid reliability , and ensuring secure cyber-physical systems at clean energy installations. According to the CEA, all existing and upcoming wind and solar power projects with capacities of 50 MW or more are required to deploy AWS with specified sensors to monitor weather parameters including solar irradiance, wind speed and direction, temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, and rainfall. The recorded data must be stored locally for a minimum of six months and shared with the National and Regional Load Dispatch Centres (NLDC/RLDC), State Load Dispatch Centres (SLDC), and Renewable Energy Management Centres (REMCs). The AWS must be equipped with Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers for time synchronization and should be capable of encrypting and transmitting data every 15 minutes using secure communication protocols. The guidelines also prescribe minimum sensor specifications and calibration standards. For instance, irradiance sensors must be secondary standard pyranometers compliant with ISO 9060 Class A, while wind sensors must meet IEC 61400-12-1 or WMO standards. Temperature sensors are required to have accuracy within ±0.2°C, and barometric pressure sensors must offer resolution of at least 0.1 hPa. In a significant step toward grid integration and energy forecasting , the guidelines stipulate that developers must also share AWS data with designated agencies, as instructed by Central Transmission Utility (CTU), SLDCs, and REMCs. In case of data loss or system failure, the project developer must inform all stakeholders within 15 minutes. The guidelines apply to utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) and concentrated solar power (CSP) plants, onshore wind farms, and hybrid systems including solar-wind combinations. These will be applicable to both AC and DC capacities of 50 MW and above. However, battery energy storage systems (BESS) are excluded from the AWS requirement unless co-located with solar or wind capacity. The AWS data is expected to play a critical role in energy forecasting models, grid dispatch planning, and renewable integration into India's electricity system, especially as the country targets 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030. CEA has made it mandatory for project developers to provide real-time data access to grid operators and to ensure robust local storage with backup power supply. Furthermore, the AWS should have protective enclosures to ensure continuous operation under various environmental conditions. The guidelines also mandate compliance with cybersecurity provisions under the Central Electricity Authority (Cyber Security in Power Sector) Guidelines, 2021. This includes safeguarding data acquisition systems and ensuring data integrity through encryption and authentication protocols. AWS installations are to be certified by a CEA-empanelled agency, and periodic calibration of sensors is mandatory. All installations must include meteorological masts at a minimum height of 10 metres, though wind farms with turbines over 100 metres tall must use hub-height sensors. In case of large solar or wind installations exceeding 150 MW, at least two AWS systems are required to be deployed. Additionally, if the plant area exceeds 10 sq km, an extra AWS must be added per 10 sq km. The directive comes amid increasing reliance on weather-sensitive power generation and the need for accurate, real-time meteorological data to support India's growing renewable portfolio.
Daily Mirror
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Tech expert believes Iran's missiles may have been hacked mid-flight over Israel
The tech expert described both jamming and spoofing as 'prolific', although he explained spoofing is less frequently used and is a bit harder to detect than jamming A tech expert has shared an 'exotic new' hack which he believes could have tricked Iranian missiles into plunging into the Mediterranean Sea during the Iran-Israel war. Israel launched attacks against Iran on June 13, claiming the country was on the verge of developing nuclear weapons. Iran then retaliated with its own series of airstrikes. But in recent days the two countries have now agreed on a ceasefire. Just after 5am GMT on Tuesday, June 24 Trump announced that the ceasefire had taken effect. The requirements for either side were slightly different, with Iran told to stop fighting a few hours from the time of the post, while Israel agreed to halt hostilities at 7.10am UK time. However, hours after Israel's side of the agreement, the state accused Iran of deploying missiles towards it - adding that defence systems were working to intercept the threat. Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz claims Iran's "violation of the ceasefire" will not go unpunished, adding that he's ordered the Israel Defence Forces to "respond forcefully". He said they will be deploying " intense strikes against regime targets in the heart of Tehran". Now, a tech expert believes that he and his team witnessed a new defensive tactic that involved tricking missiles into flying against their programming during the conflict between Israel and Iran, reports MailOnline. Sean Gorman, the co-founder and CEO of believes he and his team have seen is a highly sophisticated version of spoofing meant to mimic the arcing flight paths of missiles and send them to safer locations. Like many missile systems found across the world, Iranian missiles rely on Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) data to find their way to their targets. Sean said: "Missiles are guided munitions. They all track latitude and longitude and elevation the same way we navigate in our cars or the same way aeroplanes navigate. "You're basically providing that same navigation system in ammunition so that it lands in exactly the right place. Jammers and spoofers have been incredibly effective at preventing guided munition from landing where you where they wanted to land and maybe where you instead getting it to go somewhere else or to fail." Sean described both jamming and spoofing as 'prolific', although he explained spoofing is less frequently used and is a bit harder to detect than jamming. He also warned they're both risks to civilian and commercial operations. He said: "Collisions could be an issue both from an aviation standpoint, as well as a maritime standpoint', adding that the ability to 'detect spoofing will be critical for civilian safety."
New Indian Express
19-06-2025
- Science
- New Indian Express
Global aviation agencies moot plan to mitigate risks due to jamming, spoofing
NEW DELHI: To mitigate the risks stemming from Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) interference, commonly known as jamming and spoofing, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) have come out with a comprehensive plan. The plan emerged out of a jointly-hosted workshop on the topic of GNSS interference held at Cologne recently. An official release from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said, 'The number of global positioning system (GPS) signal loss events increased by 220% between 2021 and 2024, according to data from the Global Aviation Data Management Flight Data eXchange of IATA. And with continued geopolitical tensions, it is difficult to see this trend reversing in the near term.'
