‘zPod’: An AI-Based Tech Start-Up Has Developed India’s First Autonomous Car

While most people hold on to their reservations about technology, remaining vehemently opposed to any new approach that lacks human interaction, these apprehensions actually contradict reality. Especially in the sector of automobiles where individuals are afraid of accidents caused purely due to tech driven vehicles, statistically speaking over 80% of road accidents happen due to the negligence of the human driver. This is where two young innovators Gagandeep Reehal and Gursimran Kalra are transforming the sector and making our roads safer with India’s first fully autonomous vehicle. 

The founders of Bengaluru based start-up Minus Zero, recently presented their new product — zPod. They are aiming to achieve their vision of safe and scalable autonomous driving through the use of AI technology, known as the Nature Inspired AI (NIA), and True Vision Autonomy (TVA). The camera-sensor suite shares the real-time pictures of the automobile’s surroundings with an artificial intelligence system that further processes the information required to navigate the vehicle. 

The vehicle can seamlessly perform tasks like following, overtaking, and even maneuver around blind turns, without any human inputs. Additionally the proprietary NIA and TVA promise capabilities close to a human brain and eliminate the need to re-learn driving for different geographies making it smarter than current AI models. Hence unlike other global companies autonomous cars that incorporate costly sensors, zPod is able to cut down on the extra cost while making the process safer. 

The zPod offers seating arranged in a face-to-face configuration for up to four passengers, making space for next-gen vehicles that are both innovative and practical. This launch marks India’s place in the upper echelons of the technology sector, as Minus Zero is also expanding trials to foreign markets soon. 

Find more about the launch here.

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