By Mehboob Mahtab

Rourkela: A team of NITR students from the Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering has earned recognition at the 5G Innovation Hackathon held during the 10th India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2026 for developing GaurdNET, a 5G-enabled smart safety helmet designed to enhance industrial worker safety. The team secured the First Runner-Up position and received a cash prize of Rs 1.5 lakh.

The award was presented at Yashobhoomi, New Delhi, by Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Minister of Communications, and Dr. Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, Minister of State for Communications. Organised by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Government of India, and Telecommunications Consultants India Limited (TCIL), the hackathon was conducted under the 100 5G Use Case Labs Initiative. It attracted 1,450 proposals, of which 50 teams were selected for prototype development, each receiving Rs 1 lakh in funding.

The GaurdNET team comprises Alluri Jyothi Sri Shankar, K. Bhavajeet, Om Swarup and SatyaLakshmi, mentored by Prof. S. M. Hiremath. The team also demonstrated the prototype at a dedicated booth during IMC 2026, held in this October.

Also Read: Festive mela rush raises risk of fake UPI frauds

'GuardNET' integrates multiple sensors with an open-source 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) implemented using Software-Defined Radio (SDR) technology. The helmet monitors workers' vital physiological parameters, movement and orientation, transmitting sensor readings to a central dashboard for real-time monitoring. When abnormal readings or potentially hazardous conditions are detected, the system generates alerts to support timely intervention. The technology has potential applications in mines, construction sites and industrial facilities.

Adding to the Institute's achievements at IMC 2026, NIT Rourkela's 5G Use Case Laboratory was recognised among the Top 10 laboratories out of 100 participating 5G Use Case Labs. The laboratory showcased several research-driven applications, including air- and water-quality monitoring systems, a secure semantic digital twin for water-quality systems, adaptive multimodal AI for wildlife detection, and 5G-enabled disaster-management systems.

These initiatives were developed under the guidance of Prof. Poonam Singh and with the mentorship of Prof. S. M. Hiremath. Prof. Situ Rani and Prof. Susmita Das also joined the laboratory's booth to present their innovations.