Pixxel is an initiative taken by a group of thirty-five students from the Pilani and Goa campuses, which seeks to send a constellation of nano-satellites into space. The satellites aim to solve pertinent issues related to the fields of agriculture, oceanography, geography, and mining.

Initially, the satellites will be used to obtain relevant data sets, which in turn will be used in tandem with existing data to draw inferences. They aim to use the data to obtain accurate crop yields in farms across India, so that resources can be allocated appropriately. Similar techniques can be used to instantly flag areas where illegal deforestation is taking place. According to the Project Lead, Awais Ahmed, using satellites is far better than using drones or the internet of things, as they can be quickly and easily scaled up to function globally.

Currently, Pixxel also has a contract with the Rajasthan Government to monitor illegal mining across the state. To solve the state’s massive illegal mining problem, the system has been designed to inform relevant authorities if such activities are taking place. This project is the first of its kind in India; only a couple other such operations exist across North America and Europe.

In addition to this, the team is planning to participate in the IBM Watson A.I. XPRIZE, a competition that aims to crown teams which successfully manage to produce impactful A.I technologies that solve real world issues. Awais claimed that the competition was not their primary objective, but it could help in networking and act as motivation towards completing deadlines.