NIT Rourkela Students Build Smart Helmet, Solar Cleaning Drone

Bhubaneswar: Students of NIT Rourkela’s Intelligent Systems and IoT Research Lab have developed two innovative solutions aimed at tackling everyday challenges—road safety and solar energy efficiency.

The first innovation is a smart helmet equipped with three sensors that detect nearby vehicles and alert riders with an audible siren.

The system is designed to provide warnings at high speeds, helping reduce accident risks.

The helmet is currently in its final development stage, with field trials planned before wider deployment.

The second project is a drone‑assisted solar panel cleaning system. Using sensors to measure dust, humidity, and temperature, the drone automates cleaning of photovoltaic modules.

This reduces reliance on manual labour and helps maintain energy efficiency by preventing dust‑related losses.

The system is undergoing refinements and performance testing before commercial rollout.

Both innovations highlight the students’ focus on low‑cost, practical solutions that can benefit households, industries, and public infrastructure.

Together, they represent Odisha’s growing contribution to technology‑driven problem solving.