Mangaluru: St. Joseph Engineering College (SJEC) has announced the successful completion of an international collaborative project titled “Enhancements to the Ardupilot Mission Planner Software.” The project was carried out by four students — Muhammad Saheed, Shovin J D’Souza, Nithin, and Vyasa M Nayak — as part of the ongoing academic partnership between the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Program of Kansas State University (KSU), USA, and SJEC.
Global exposure through collaborative UAV research
Conducted between October 2024 and April 2025, the initiative offered students hands-on research experience, global academic exposure, and cross-institutional mentorship. Their work involved developing improvements to the Ardupilot Mission Planner software, enhancing usability and strengthening functionalities essential for UAV systems and mission-planning technologies.
Guidance from expert mentors in India and the US
The project was supervised by a distinguished panel of faculty mentors from both collaborating institutions:
- Dr. Raju Dandu, Professor and Graduate Faculty, Kansas State University
- Mr. Nathan Maresch, Senior Engineer & UAS Flight Instructor, Kansas State University
- Dr. Binu K. G, Professor, Mechanical Engineering, SJEC
- Mr. Vijay Ganesh, Assistant Professor, ECE, SJEC
Their guidance ensured technical depth, structured research outcomes, and a strong collaborative framework.
Strengthening international academic partnerships
This successful project reflects SJEC’s commitment to building global academic linkages and empowering students to participate in cutting-edge technological research. The institution congratulated the project team for their achievement and for proudly representing SJEC on an international platform.