Kerala startup develops drone-based tech to detect life beneath debris

Rescue operations in areas affected by landslides, mudslips, or floods are often perilous and difficult to execute. To address this, Kerala-based startup Augsenselab has developed drone-mounted sensor technology aimed at improving the efficiency and safety of search missions in such challenging terrains.

Founded in 2019, Augsenselab is the brainchild of a group of researchers—Kannan Keshava Pillai, Naveen Francis, Hari Nataraj, Jinu Sukumaran, and Sudheer Krishnankutty Nair—who work on cutting-edge technologies such as augmented sensing and RF (radio frequency) sensing. These tools have wide-ranging applications, including aiding defence forces in detecting landmines and other hidden threats.

According to Sudheer Krishnankutty Nair, the team’s core focus lies in developing RF sensing solutions capable of penetrating through debris to detect signs of human bodies buried beneath. They are also incorporating advancements in quantum sensing technology to make their payloads compact, energy-efficient, and easily deployable via drones. This approach allows rapid scanning of disaster-hit zones to locate survivors more efficiently.

Before starting Augsenselab, the team had experience working in medical imaging, particularly in software development for CT, MRI, and X-ray systems. Their transition into environmental sensing began with a project focused on optimising algorithms for weather forecasting. At the time, weather predictions largely relied on limited data from weather balloons, which was insufficient given the increasing unpredictability of weather patterns due to climate change. This gap led the team to explore more scalable, real-time solutions.

They identified the need for hyperlocal, continuous atmospheric monitoring and turned to GNSS tomography—a method that uses satellite signals to detect changes in the atmosphere. In 2023, they built their first prototype using this technique. Until 2024, the venture was entirely bootstrapped, sustained through the personal savings of its founders. As Sudheer explains, their first major innovation involved passively sensing signals from satellites to extract atmospheric data, a cost-effective alternative to expensive radar systems.

Support from the Kerala Startup Mission and the Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council (KDISC) helped them scale further. One of their key milestones came after the 2022 landslide in Kanichar, Kannur, when the Kerala government sought a more effective prediction model for the region. 

Augsenselab's hyperlocal weather monitoring technology is now being piloted as part of a broader effort in collaboration with IIT Roorkee, which is using this data to enhance its landslide prediction models.

Realising the limitations of conventional RF receivers, the team has since shifted focus to quantum sensing technologies, which open up diverse possibilities beyond disaster management. Their innovations can support infrastructure management in sectors such as urban planning, mining, oil and gas, and utilities. For instance, the same sensing principles can be applied to detect underground pipelines, monitor for leaks, or track structural weaknesses—all with drone-based platforms.

Defence remains a major area of interest. Augsenselab is now a participant in iDEX, a government initiative to promote innovation in the defence and aerospace sectors. One of their proposals was accepted by the Indian Air Force earlier this year, and they signed an agreement to begin product development under the program.

Their long-term vision is ambitious: to develop sensing solutions that can image everything from 50 meters below the Earth’s surface to 500 kilometres above ground. With growing backing from both the Kerala government and the Ministry of Defence, the team is now in an active phase of expansion, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in real-time environmental and subsurface sensing