New MDV pitched in to manage traffic during IPL match in Lucknow

LUCKNOW: New hi-tech mobile drone vehicle (MDV), which was recently added to the Lucknow police’s fleet, was used for the first time to manage traffic during the IPL match that held on Saturday.
Lucknow traffic department shared multiple videos where the MDV stationed at the Ahimamau intersection could be seen keeping a watch on the nearby traffic at the stadium and other places.
“Not just traffic, the drone was used for keeping a watch on the suspected people in the area,” said police in a statement.
The drone on MDV has a 10-hour flight duration as compared to the typical drone with a 15–20-minute flying limit.
The drone has been developed by a city-based Robotic company Roboz run by a robot expert Milind Raj and is being funded by Goenka Group under its corporate social responsibility programme.
“Continuous monitoring will be done through the drone installed in this vehicle. It will continue to get battery backup through a wire and a generator in the vehicle. Till now, only 10-15 minutes of monitoring was possible through drones,” said Upendra Kumar Agrawal, joint commissioner of police law and order.
“A 32-inch screen in the car will help the team sitting inside the vehicle to monitor the captured images. The drone can keep an eye from about 70 feet. Till now, drones could take pictures from a maximum height of 20 feet,” said the man behind the drone, Raj, adding that the drone will be significant to keep a watch during sensitive events.
Company officials claimed that such MDV is being included in the police department for the first time in India.
According to Agarwal, the drone system can be fed criminal data from police records and can be used to scan for criminals who may be present at such events. “The device will be useful for managing traffic during jams. A drone parked in the vicinity may fly to identify the cause of the jam, while eliminating the need for a traffic cop to investigate,” said JCP.