Overview: Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs / Drones) are rapidly becoming critical tools in precision agriculture, smart mechanization, and resource-use efficiency. This 10-day short course aims to strengthen the knowledge and practical skills of researchers, academicians, and extension professionals in drone selection, flight planning, sensor integration, input spraying/broadcasting, performance evaluation, operational safety, and data processing.

Organizing Institution: ICAR-Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering (ICAR-CIAE), Nabibagh, Berasia Road, Bhopal – 462038, Madhya Pradesh.

• Sponsoring Body: Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi
• Course Director: Dr. Karan Singh, Principal Scientist (Mobile: 9425680189)
• Course Co-Directors: Dr. Satya Prakash Kumar, Dr. Ramesh Kumar Sahni, Dr. Deepak Thorat
• Inquiry Email: ciaeshortcourse@gmail.com

The course incorporates expert lectures, laboratory sessions, simulation demos, and field trials covering:

• Fundamentals of agricultural drones: components, flight systems, navigation, and payload.
• Drone spraying systems: nozzle technologies, atomization, droplet deposition, and drift mitigation.
• Design, calibration, and performance evaluation of drone-based pesticide, fertilizer, and seed applications.
• Sensors and imaging: RGB, multispectral, thermal, LiDAR, and hyperspectral mapping for crop health and stress.
• Flight planning, autonomous mapping, Pix4D processing, and introduction to AI/ML applications in UAV data.
• Hands-on demonstrations on drone simulation platforms, patternators, field exercises, and facility visits.

• Eligibility: Scientists, Assistant Professors, Lecturers, Subject Matter Specialists (SMS), and equivalent professionals from ICAR Institutes, SAUs, CAUs, and KVKs. Must hold a Master’s degree in Agricultural Engineering or a relevant discipline.
• Registration Fee: ₹50/- (Rupees Fifty only, non-refundable), payable via DD/online in favor of “ICAR UNIT-CIAE, BHOPAL” (A/c No: 10470972113, IFSC: SBIN0010144).
• Boarding & Lodging: Provided free of cost to selected participants in the institute guest house on a sharing basis as per ICAR norms.
• Travel Allowance (TA): Paid to and fro for the shortest route by AC-II class train or bus fare on production of original tickets.