As part of the agreement, the IIT-Delhi will provide space and infrastructural support for the Center of Excellence (CoE), the statement said. New Delhi: The Indian National Highways Authority (NHAI) has signed a pact with IIT-Delhi to set up a competence center for the use of artificial intelligence in decision-making, the government announced on Thursday. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in the presence of NHAI Chairman Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, IIT Delhi Director V Ram Gopal Rao and other senior officials.
“Today (Thursday) NHAI signed an MoU with the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, to establish a center of excellence for the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in data-driven decisions and the advanced data management system for highways.” The Ministry of Roads and Highways said in a statement.
As part of the partnership, IIT-Delhi will work with the NHAI to develop AI-based advance analytics, prepare simulation models, improve data storage and retrieval capabilities, and further strengthen the NHAI’s data-driven decision-making capabilities.
The cooperation will be carried out in the identified priority areas such as project management and data management, traffic demand and incident management, highway safety, highway work zone management and road surface management system, the statement said.
IIT Delhi will also provide input to the NHAI’s data management policy.
As part of the agreement, the IIT-Delhi will provide space and infrastructural support for the Center of Excellence (CoE), the statement said.
IIT Delhi will also provide scientific and technical expertise to expand the research facilities.
Efforts are also being made to attract students and academics to creating startups for various transportation and highway research solutions, he added.
The NHAI, on the other hand, will provide critical data support and the necessary access to its information resources, including its data lake software. The Authority will also provide the necessary financial support to carry out research and various activities in the proposed Council of Europe.
“The operations at the CoE for the advance data management system for motorways are controlled and managed by a two-tier management structure,” the statement said.
It added that an advisory board will be the top committee that will oversee the cooperation platform’s activities, including initiating, continuing work and approving joint cooperation projects, and suggesting mechanisms to achieve the desired goals.
It will also monitor the activities carried out and check overall progress, the statement said.
At the second level, a coordination committee would be set up for overall coordination and timely progress.
The committee is chaired by the Dean (Research and Development) of IIT Delhi, co-chaired by a senior NHAI official, and is made up of experts from academic and research institutes. A professor is also appointed coordinator of the center by IIT Delhi.
“This agreement is expected to remain in force for a period of five years and is expected to produce highly effective digitized systems on which the NHAI will be built,” the statement said.
This partnership will drive advances in various areas related to the data-driven traffic and construction management systems for the new age highways that will benefit not just the NHAI but the nation as a whole, she added.
The advanced AI-based data analysis of motorways and traffic patterns at CoE will facilitate decision-making at the national level.