LUCKNOW: In a first, Lucknow Police has turned to multi-functional drone technology to bring relief and security to flood-hit Faizullaganj, where submerged lanes have made conventional patrolling difficult and forced families to leave their homes.Equipped with a lighting system, live surveillance camera and public address system, the drone is performing three jobs at once — illuminating waterlogged streets, keeping watch over deserted homes and broadcasting messages to residents stranded by floodwater. It can also carry up to 10 kg of relief supplies to areas that are difficult to access on foot.Deployed in collaboration with Delhi-based robotics startup Aevon Dynamics, the Modular Aerial Policing Drone (MAPD) is designed to help police maintain a presence in inundated neighbourhoods after dark, when movement on the ground becomes challenging and evacuated homes may be vulnerable to theft.“UP Police is here to help you. Dial 112 in case of any emergency,” the drone announces as it flies over the flooded locality, taking the police’s voice to residents stranded on upper floors and rooftops.“The announcements are intended not only to provide emergency information but also to reassure residents who may otherwise feel isolated in the darkness,” said DCP North Amit K Anand.Yawar Sayeed, founder of Aevon Dynamics and an incubatee at Delhi Technological University, said the drone’s distinguishing feature was its ability to combine lighting, surveillance and communication in a single aircraft.“The idea is to have one drone with light, sight and voice working together. It illuminates the area, provides live surveillance to the police control room and makes announcements to people on the ground,” Sayeed said.According to the system’s concept note, the lighting module can illuminate around 400 square metres at a time, while the speaker system can cover approximately 2,500 square metres. Its onboard camera streams live footage to the police control room, allowing personnel to monitor rooftops, narrow lanes and waterlogged compounds that are difficult to access from the ground.From night patrols to relief dropsWith an advertised payload capacity of 10 kg and an all-up weight of 24 kg, the drone can also transport relief supplies to residents cut off by floodwater. Police personnel can then use boats to reach stranded families, deliver assistance and carry out rescue operations.DCP North, who is overseeing the police response in the affected area, said the deployment was part of a broader effort to maintain surveillance and assist residents in flood-hit pockets where movement remained restricted.Sayeed said Aevon Dynamics had been working with UP Police on drone technology for about a year. The team is also developing a separate drone designed to lift a person weighing up to 100 kg, a project that remains in the pipeline with the police.
