An artificial intelligence (AI) startup Minus Zero, which is based in the Indian city of Bengaluru, unveiled the first self-driving car in the country "zPod".
“With true vision autonomy coming to the fore, one can make autonomous vehicles a reality, solving major pain points of the mobility paradigm,” stated CEO Gagandeep Reehal at the launch.
Reehal along with Gursimran Kalra founded Minus Zero in 2021. The start-up raised $1.7 million in seed funds from various investors which included Chiratae Ventures, Snow Leopard Ventures, IIT Mandi and other angel investors.
The 4-wheeler does not have a steering wheel and the strategically-placed high-resolution cameras help the car in analysing driving conditions, which includes traffic.
The surroundings of the vehicle are captured in a camera-sensor suite which is shared with the AI system embedded in it. In turn, the information is processed by the AI through images to help zPod control its speed, avoid obstacles, and stop.
Minus Zero has claimed that the self-driving car can be scaled up to ‘Level 5’ autonomy, which is the highest autonomy ever achieved in such a vehicle.
This level of autonomy indicates that no human intervention is needed in operating it. Currently, the car zPod is ‘good enough’ for use within an enclosed and controlled area like large residential complexes or campuses, stated Minus Zero.
The start-up further aims to provide the tech to help OEMs improvise their advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS).
Minus Zero has claimed that the self-driving car can be scaled up to ‘Level 5’ autonomy, which is the highest autonomy ever achieved in such a vehicle.
This level of autonomy indicates that no human intervention is needed in operating it. Currently, the car zPod is ‘good enough’ for use within an enclosed and controlled area like large residential complexes or campuses, stated Minus Zero.
The start-up further aims to provide the tech to help OEMs improvise their advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS).
(With inputs from agencies)