Swamiji Takes Joyride In Made-In-India Driverless Car (Video)
Fully autonomous cars, better known as ‘driverless cars’, attract a lot of attention on social media platforms. Many see them as the future of mobility. The topic itself stands hot at the time of writing. Now, a viral video from Bengaluru shows a Swamiji taking a joyride in a driverless car developed and manufactured in India.
This clip is from R.V. College of Engineering (RVCE) in Bengaluru. The driverless car shown in it was developed by the college, collaborating with Wipro and IISc (Indian Institute of Science), under the WIRIN (Wipro-IISc Research and Innovation Network) programme. For the uninitiated, WIRIN promotes and facilitates research in AI, machine learning, human-machine interaction, autonomous systems, and other advanced technologies.
As the video opens, we see a bizarrely styled car moving slowly through a walkway inside the campus. A group of sadhus is seen walking along. The car has a large, almost-panoramic glass area. We soon get our first view of its interior. It seems roomy and airy inside. At least five are seated inside. The Swamiji is seated on the rear seat. This car has two rows of seats that face each other. It doesn’t, however, have a steering wheel, gear shifter, or other such components seen on regular cars.
The video has been racking up views and has also sparked discussions on various social media platforms. The sadhu seen here is Sri Sri 1008 Satyatma Theertha Sripadangalu Swamiji of the Uttaradi Matha, who was on his visit to the college. The authorities and engineering team took the opportunity to brief him up about the car and give a quick experience of the same.
This driverless car project is known to be still under development. It will likely take a few more months to get completed. We will have to wait till the launch to find out more details about the car. The engineering team is now mapping Indian road conditions for training it. This is needed for ensuring safe commute.
The design and development of this car took six years to reach its current form. The intention was to develop a driverless car that’s suitable for tricky Indian roads. Potholes and jaywalking cattle, common sights on our roads, will also be considered in calibrating this car’s autonomous systems. The R&D is backed by Wipro’s rich expertise and experience in autonomous systems.
This development comes at a time when many driverless car projects are under development in various parts of the world. Even in India, many universities are working on such projects. IIT Hyderabad is also developing advanced autonomous navigation tech. It has even developed vehicles for use in the agriculture and mining sectors. Many such prototypes are now being deployed inside the campuses of these colleges and institutions.
There are companies working on developing autonomous driving tech that can be installed on regular vehicles, effectively converting them into driverless cars and SUVs. Kerala-based Rosh AI is one such firm that has converted a regular Toyota Innova Crysta into a self-driving vehicle.
Globally, autonomous cars are said to be the next big thing in personal mobility. Tesla CEO Elon Musk is expected to roll out driverless ride-hailing services in California and Texas this year. In the UK, the Automated Vehicles Act (AV Act) is set to become law next year. It will allow the use of self-driving vehicles on Britain’s roads. Driverless cars and robotaxis are already used in many parts of China.
The message is clear- self-driving cars are no longer a distant dream. These projects will enable more Indian startups to foray into this soon-to-boom sector.