The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad’s Technology Innovation Hub on Autonomous Navigation (Tihan) created software based on artificial intelligence to operate without drivers on its campus. The system is used to transport students and members of the faculty between different places inside the institute.
Operating range and simultaneous use
According to Tihan officials, an autonomous vehicle currently operates only within the campus and not on public roads. Since its deployment, the bus has been transporting more than 10,000 passengers. Approximately 90 percent of users provided positive feedback, the team said. The technology relies on a number of sensors and can be adapted to different types of vehicles, from electric to engine models with internal combustion.
The service attracted interest from other educational institutions and the state government of Telangana, which examines potential applications. Developers have noted that technology may be suitable for deployment at airports, large educational campuses or industrial places where traffic conditions are relatively predictable.
Data collection for Indian road conditions
In an effort to adapt the system for Indian road conditions, Tihan performed extensive data collection. This includes experiments with a specially equipped sports utility vehicle (SUV) from Hyderabad to Jammu. The project, called “Safari”, covered approximately 4,000 kilometers in one direction, while the return journey increased to about 8,000 kilometers. During the journey, the team passed almost 35 cities and gathered information about different types of roads, traffic samples and environmental conditions.
The collected data are used to train and fine -tune autonomous navigation algorithms to improve performance in various weather and transport situations. Tihan engineers said the system has been successfully tested in controlled environments, but further evaluation in uncontrolled conditions in the real world is necessary than any wider commercial introduction.
Officials involved in the project also emphasized the potential safety benefits of autonomous technology, especially in reducing traffic accidents and death. However, they stressed that strict experiments and regulatory approval for general use outside the controlled premises will be required before the technology is introduced.
(tagstotranslate) Iit Hyderabad
