Before we get access to Flying Cars as predicted by modern-day Nastradamuses, Elon Musk has taken drivers out of the equation. Tesla is one of the first few countries to have actually introduced driverless cars. As per a report, more than 90 percent of road accidents happen due to human error. The introduction of driverless cars by Tesla has brought a major change in the automobile industry. Google has already bolstered its efforts to develop its own driverless cars to give competition to Tesla. Tesla has already entered the market with the cars having an autopilot mode.
The Developed countries look to cut their carbon emissions significantly and the combination of electric and driverless cars is the best possible solution to meet the target.
Any new technology can’t claim widespread success without entering the Indian market. Tesla has already entered the Indian market with its first centre being opened in Bengaluru, the IT hub of India. Looking at the size of the Indian market and the demand for cars, the future looks promising. But this decade is going to be India’s decade. The government is backing Make In India products to cut the imports and make the market self-dependent.
Apart from this, India aims to cut its carbon emissions to a great extent and that reflects in the promotion of solar technology. Metros and trains are already running on electricity and the demand for petrol and diesel is only going to decrease. There are several Indian firms that are working on the technology of driverless vehicles. We’ve prepared a list of such firms.
Fisheyebox
Fisheyebox is a Kolkata based startup that is helping India is taking giant strides in achieving self-dependency in the field of driverless cars. The startup has launched a project named Aerodrive under which it aims to develop low tech cars with features like sensors, antenna and some features under a budget-restricted to Rs. 20 lakh. While the project is still in the basic stage in comparison to the likes of Tesla or Google. The firm is currently looking for investments to take their project to an advanced level. The autonomous Celerio by Fisheyebox comes with AIOS, car operating system and a voice recognition software that runs on a ‘Start Engine’ voice command. The car is run by a joystick.
Flux Auto
Flux Auto is a Bengaluru based startup that converts normal trucks into driverless trucks. The startup primarily focuses on developing self-driving technology for commercial vehicles. Currently, the startup equips existing vehicles with high-end features like cruise control, lane-keeping, collision avoidance, accident control and higher efficiency. The firm aims to induct driverless technology into existing vehicles in the range of $3,000 to $4,000. The 16-member startup develops autonomous systems without the use of Lidar.
Netradyne
Netradyne is a startup founded by Avneesh Agrawal, a former Qualcomm Inc. president for India and South Asia, and David Julian, a former principal engineer at Qualcomm. The startup mainly focuses on improving driver safety and reducing accident cases with the use of artificial intelligence. The Bengaluru-based startup uses cameras to study driving patterns and find the root cause behind accidents. Netradyne has developed a device called Driveri that is attached to the rear mirror of the vehicle.
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Hi-Tech Robotic Systemz
Hi-Tech Robotic Systemz is a startup headquartered in Gurgaon. It works on smart robotics technology to improve road safety and develop driverless vehicles. The company unveiled Novus-Drive, its first and entirely autonomous electric vehicle in the Auto Expo Motor show 2016 in India. The owner can set the destination on the map. The passengers can also get details of the location, use a snooze button to stop the vehicle and it also sends audio/video alerts in case of any emergency. The startup works on machine learning, computer vision technologies, high-end sensors and motion planning and control.
ATI Motors
ATImotors is a Bengaluru-based startup founded by three young entrepreneurs. The startup mainly focuses on developing autonomous electric cargo vehicles. However, the main target of the startup is to develop vehicles suitable for the market outside India. The main focus of the startup is to export electric vehicles outside India.
Auro Robotics
Auro Robotics is a startup founded by IIT Kharagpur alumnus. It specializes in developing autonomous shuttles. The trials of the shuttle are going on in the University of Santa Clara. The aim of the startup is to introduce self-driving transportation options in public places like institutes, corporate offices, parks, private colonies etc. The startup mainly uses LIDAR, a sensor technology that uses laser light for localization and spotting anomalies, to develop the vehicle. The startup is currently working on two different models of the shuttle.
