ISRO & IN-SPACe organize Workshop on Spin-Off Space Technologies for Automotive Industry

By R Anil Kumar

Bengaluru, December 13. At the Bengaluru Tech Summit on the 20th of November 2024, S. Somanath, the Chairman of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) had said that India is very much capable of making vehicle sensors.

Somanath said that ISRO is already making space-graded sensors entirely in India, and they can help the country’s automobile industry to manufacture vehicle sensors domestically.

ISRO Chairman Somanath had then stated that the space agency will now start discussing how to take this idea forward with the automobile sector.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is keen to work with the automotive sector to help them develop and manufacture automotive sensors indigenously.

To address this, a workshop would be organized with the automotive industry and the space ecosystem, shortly, the ISRO Chairman had stated.

And now taking forward their efforts in ensuring wider use of space technologies across industries, ISRO and IN-SPACe hosted a one-day workshop on December 11, 2024, at ISRO HQ, Bengaluru.

The focus of the workshop was on leveraging space technologies for the automotive sector. The event aimed to initiate a strategic dialogue on integrating ISRO’s advanced space technologies into meaningful and cost-effective applications within the Indian automotive sector.

This initiative seeks to promote innovation and increase self-reliance by reducing the dependence of the Indian automotive sector on imported technologies.

Dr. S. Somanath, Secretary of the Department of Space and Chairman of ISRO, emphasized the importance of transferring knowledge from India’s space program for wider industrial applications. He encouraged leaders in the automotive industry to explore how space-grade technologies could enhance vehicle safety, performance, and sustainability.

Dr. Pawan Goenka, Chairman of IN-SPACe, appreciated the efforts of ISRO scientists and stressed the need to sustain the momentum generated by the workshop. He advocated for pilot projects led by a consortium approach within the automotive industry for the commercial deployment of these technologies.

Ms. Shraddha Suri Marwah, CMD of Subros Limited and President of the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA), highlighted the automotive sector’s commitment to embracing advanced solutions from the space sector.

Experts from various ISRO centres, including the Space Applications Centre (SAC) Ahmedabad, Laboratory for Electro-Optics Systems (LEOS, Bengaluru), ISRO Inertial Systems Unit (IISU, Thiruvananthapuram), Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC, Thiruvananthapuram), and the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), showcased 43 curated technologies.

These included camera/imaging sensors, temperature and pressure sensors, gyroscopes, accelerometers, acoustic and vibration sensors, specialized coatings and adhesives, anti-vibration and noise suppression technologies, insulation technologies, and safety systems.

Sessions led by ISRO scientists also detailed potential adaptations of these technologies for various applications in the automotive sector.

Victor Joseph, Associate Scientific Secretary at ISRO, and Shri Rajeev Jyoti, Director Technical at IN-SPACe, moderated the discussions between ISRO experts and the automotive delegation.

The delegation comprised promoters, CEOs, CTOs, and R&D team members from Indian automotive component manufacturers Automotive OEMs.

ACMA and the Society of Indian Automotive Manufacturers (SIAM) played key roles in coordinating efforts with industry members.

The automotive delegates appreciated the efforts of ISRO and IN-SPACe, finding the workshop highly informative and beneficial. They saw it as a strong starting point for future collaborations and technology transfers from ISRO to the automotive industry.

The workshop served as an important first step in bringing space technology into the automotive sector and exploring how it can be adapted to meet the specific needs of the Indian auto industry. This initiative will be followed by further deliberations between ISRO, IN-SPACe, and the automotive industry in the coming months. Stay tuned for more updates.