AI for effective defence land management! CoE-SURVEI to monitor encroachments and unauthorized constructions

New Delhi, Jul 5: As per the Defence Ministry, an Artificial Intelligence-based software has been developed by the Centre of Excellence on Satellite and Unmanned Remote Vehicle Initiative (CoE-SURVEI), which can automatically detect change on ground, including unauthorized constructions and encroachments in a time series using Satellite Imagery. The CoE was inaugurated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Dec 16, last year.

 

 

 

 

The CoE-SURVEI leverages latest technologies in survey; satellite imagery, drone imagery and geo-spatial tools for effective land management and urban planning. The Change Detection Software has been developed by CoE-SURVEI in collaboration with knowledge partner Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Visakhapatnam. Presently, the tool uses National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) Cartosat-3 imagery with trained software. The changes are detected by analyzing satellite imagery of different time periods.

 

 

 

 

 

The application has been used by CoE in 62 Cantonments and comparison done with ground position in recent period. The software facilitates better control on unauthorized activities, ensures accountability of field staff and helps in reducing corrupt practices. It was known that out of 1,133 unauthorized changes detected, the action was already taken in 570 cases. In the remaining 563 cases, wherever legal action is warranted the same has been initiated by the Cantonment Boards after changes were detected by the tool.

 

 

The change detection tool has resulted in effective defence land management. Efforts are on to further fine tune and upgrade it to achieve higher accuracy. The CoE-SURVEI has also developed tools for vacant land analysis and 3D imagery analysis of hill cantonments for land management. By leveraging technology, it is trying to ensure optimum use of defence land through Geographic Information System (GIS)-based land management systems.