The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has announced an exciting opportunity for students, professionals, and researchers interested in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). From August 19 to 23, 2024, ISRO will conduct a free, five-day online course designed to impart essential skills in these rapidly advancing fields. This initiative is part of the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing’s (IIRS) outreach program, which has been instrumental in fostering innovation and capacity building within the space sector and beyond.
The course will be offered at no cost and aims to provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of AI and ML technologies. Attendees who maintain a minimum attendance of 70% will be awarded a certificate of participation, which will be available for download through the ISRO Learning Management System (LMS).
The curriculum of the course covers a range of foundational and advanced topics. Participants will begin with an introduction to AI and ML, setting the stage for deeper exploration into these technologies. The course will then delve into various machine learning methodologies, including supervised, unsupervised, and reinforcement learning. Each of these methods has distinct applications and benefits, making them crucial components of the AI toolkit.
A significant portion of the course will focus on deep learning, an area of AI that employs neural networks with multiple layers to analyze complex data. Participants will learn about different deep learning architectures such as Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN), Recurrent Neural Networks (RNN), and advanced object detection models including R-CNN, Faster R-CNN, SSD, and YOLO. These techniques are particularly relevant for applications in image and video analysis, which are vital for spaceborne and other geospatial technologies.
Additionally, the course will explore machine learning applications using Google Earth Engine, a powerful tool for analyzing geospatial data. Participants will also gain practical experience with Python programming tailored for developing machine and deep learning models. Python’s versatility and widespread use in AI and ML make it an essential skill for anyone entering these fields.
Lectures will be held daily from 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM IST via the IIRS e-class platform. The schedule includes sessions led by experts such as Dr. Poonam Seth Tiwari, who will provide insights into AI, ML, and deep learning concepts; Dr. Hina Pande, who will cover various machine learning methods; Dr. Kamal Pandey, who will focus on applications through Google Earth Engine; and Ravi Bhandari, who will teach Python for machine and deep learning models.
Those interested in participating can register through the IIRS website. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis, and individual registrations are automatically approved. Participants will receive login credentials for the ISRO LMS upon registration. For those applying through nodal centers, approval from the center’s coordinator is required. Institutions wishing to register must appoint a coordinator to act as the nodal center.
This course offers a unique opportunity to enhance one’s knowledge and skills in AI and ML, areas that are becoming increasingly important in the advancement of space exploration and related scientific fields. ISRO’s commitment to providing this training free of charge reflects its dedication to fostering innovation and building expertise in these critical technologies.
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