Latest news with #AutonomousEmergencyBraking
Time of India
9 hours ago
- Automotive
- Time of India
TiHAN-IITH moots industry consortium for autonomous navigation, offers tech and test infra
Mumbai/New Delhi: As India embarks on a mission to lead in autonomous mobility by 2047, the NMICPS Technology Innovation Hub on Autonomous Navigation (TiHAN) at IIT Hyderabad is leading the charge with a woman engineer at the helm--Dr. P Rajalakshmi, who is the Project Director at the Dept. of Electrical Engineering, IIT Hyderabad. TiHAN-IITH is working to strengthen industry collaboration, while also positioning itself as the country's first dedicated autonomous vehicle testbed . Born in 2022 and funded by the Government of India through the Department of Science Technology, the initiative aims to provide access to advanced infrastructure, data, and collaborative opportunities for validating autonomous technologies in Indian driving conditions. 'We have developed a complete in-house autonomous driving stack. This proprietary system entirely designed, tested, and validated by the institute, includes multi-sensor fusion, perception algorithms, path planning, and control systems, representing a fully integrated end-to-end solution,' Dr Rajalakshmi told ETAuto. This stack, which is TiHAN's intellectual property, has been field-tested through an autonomous campus shuttle, which is equipped with core autonomous features including Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC). It can detect obstacles, maintain safe following distances, and respond dynamically to its environment. ETAuto has learned that a proposal has been submitted to TiHAN's advisory board to introduce a negotiable membership model for OEMs, suppliers and industry partners, with an indicative fee of around ₹1 crore for a three-year term. This membership would grant access to the autonomous testbeds, data sets, and research collaborations. Capability and strength The autonomous shuttle currently deployed at IIT Hyderabad has reached Technology Readiness Level 9 (TRL-9), indicating it has been successfully tested, validated, and deployed in a real-world environment. Operating daily on campus, the shuttle carries 45–50 passengers without a driver. This places the technology just one step away from TRL-10, the stage at which solutions are industrialised and ready for mass production. While the current deployment focuses on low-speed autonomous shuttles, TiHAN's technology stack is adaptable to higher-speed vehicles as well. The institute emphasises that sensor fusion, perception, path planning, and control algorithms are all tailored based on vehicle type and intended speed. Dr Rajalakshmi asserted that the team has the technical competence to develop end-to-end autonomous vehicle solutions, adaptable across various use cases and driving conditions. At CES 2025 in Las Vegas, USA, the team showcased its innovations and also signed an MoU with Tier-1 supplier Sona Comstar. Autonomous technology in India Expressing confidence in autonomous technology becoming mainstream in India, Dr. Rajalakshmi emphasised its relevance in areas where road safety is a critical concern. 'Human error remains the leading cause of road accidents. Even achieving Level 2 autonomy, with advanced driver assistance, can make a significant impact on safety,' she noted. However, she sees Level 4 and 5 autonomous technologies (where no driver intervention is required) as more viable for off-road use cases such as agriculture, mining, and port operations, rather than public roadways. She added that fully autonomous vehicles must also be connected and capable of vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication. Once this integrated ecosystem matures, India has the potential to emerge as a global leader in next-generation mobility solutions. Future of mobility Beyond ground mobility, TiHAN is actively developing heavy-payload autonomous drones and electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles (eVTOLs) with a focus on real-world use cases such as air ambulances, emergency evacuations, and cargo transport in remote or high-altitude terrains. 'These drones are designed to carry not just individuals, but also substantial cargo loads, making them suitable for sectors like fisheries, disaster response, and military logistics, particularly in areas where traditional road transport faces limitations,' she said. The two working prototypes include a 60 kg payload autonomous drone, capable of transporting a nominal passenger, which has undergone over a year of successful testing at 100–150 meters above ground level. Another is a cargo drone with a 150 kg payload capacity, currently undergoing autonomous trials within the 600-acre IIT Hyderabad campus, covering flight distances of 3 to 3.5 km. With innovation at its core and a clear goal in sight, TiHAN's initiative, guided by a woman, seeks to accelerate India's efforts into the future of autonomous mobility.
Time of India
16 hours ago
- Automotive
- Time of India
Women in Engineering Day Special: TiHAN-IITH eyes industry-led vehicle test bed consortium
Mumbai/New Delhi: As India embarks on a mission to lead in autonomous mobility by 2047, the NMICPS Technology Innovation Hub on Autonomous Navigation (TiHAN) at IIT Hyderabad is leading the charge with a woman engineer at the helm--Dr. P Rajalakshmi, who is the Project Director at the Dept. of Electrical Engineering, IIT Hyderabad. TiHAN-IITH is working to strengthen industry collaboration, while also positioning itself as the country's first dedicated autonomous vehicle testbed . Born in 2022 and funded by the Government of India through the Department of Science Technology, the initiative aims to provide access to advanced infrastructure, data, and collaborative opportunities for validating autonomous technologies in Indian driving conditions. 'We have developed a complete in-house autonomous driving stack. This proprietary system entirely designed, tested, and validated by the institute, includes multi-sensor fusion, perception algorithms, path planning, and control systems, representing a fully integrated end-to-end solution,' Dr Rajalakshmi told ETAuto. This stack, which is TiHAN's intellectual property, has been field-tested through an autonomous campus shuttle, which is equipped with core autonomous features including Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC). It can detect obstacles, maintain safe following distances, and respond dynamically to its environment. ETAuto has learned that a proposal has been submitted to TiHAN's advisory board to introduce a negotiable membership model for OEMs, suppliers and industry partners, with an indicative fee of around ₹1 crore for a three-year term. This membership would grant access to the autonomous testbeds, data sets, and research collaborations. Capability and strength The autonomous shuttle currently deployed at IIT Hyderabad has reached Technology Readiness Level 9 (TRL-9), indicating it has been successfully tested, validated, and deployed in a real-world environment. Operating daily on campus, the shuttle carries 45–50 passengers without a driver. This places the technology just one step away from TRL-10, the stage at which solutions are industrialised and ready for mass production. While the current deployment focuses on low-speed autonomous shuttles, TiHAN's technology stack is adaptable to higher-speed vehicles as well. The institute emphasises that sensor fusion, perception, path planning, and control algorithms are all tailored based on vehicle type and intended speed. Dr Rajalakshmi asserted that the team has the technical competence to develop end-to-end autonomous vehicle solutions, adaptable across various use cases and driving conditions. At CES 2025 in Las Vegas, USA, the team showcased its innovations and also signed an MoU with Tier-1 supplier Sona Comstar. Autonomous technology in India Expressing confidence in autonomous technology becoming mainstream in India, Dr. Rajalakshmi emphasised its relevance in areas where road safety is a critical concern. 'Human error remains the leading cause of road accidents. Even achieving Level 2 autonomy, with advanced driver assistance, can make a significant impact on safety,' she noted. However, she sees Level 4 and 5 autonomous technologies (where no driver intervention is required) as more viable for off-road use cases such as agriculture, mining, and port operations, rather than public roadways. She added that fully autonomous vehicles must also be connected and capable of vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication. Once this integrated ecosystem matures, India has the potential to emerge as a global leader in next-generation mobility solutions. Future of mobility Beyond ground mobility, TiHAN is actively developing heavy-payload autonomous drones and electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles (eVTOLs) with a focus on real-world use cases such as air ambulances, emergency evacuations, and cargo transport in remote or high-altitude terrains. 'These drones are designed to carry not just individuals, but also substantial cargo loads, making them suitable for sectors like fisheries, disaster response, and military logistics, particularly in areas where traditional road transport faces limitations,' she said. The two working prototypes include a 60 kg payload autonomous drone, capable of transporting a nominal passenger, which has undergone over a year of successful testing at 100–150 meters above ground level. Another is a cargo drone with a 150 kg payload capacity, currently undergoing autonomous trials within the 600-acre IIT Hyderabad campus, covering flight distances of 3 to 3.5 km. With innovation at its core and a clear goal in sight, TiHAN's initiative, guided by a woman, seeks to accelerate India's efforts into the future of autonomous mobility.
Telegraph
18-03-2025
- Automotive
- Telegraph
Car insurance groups: Costs and how do they work
Every make and model of car in the UK falls into one of 50 car insurance groups. These groups are defined by the Group Rating Panel and published by Thatcham Research. The group rating system was designed to help insurers assess risk when setting car insurance premiums. Generally, vehicles that fall into group one are the cheapest to insure, while those in group 50 are riskier and the most expensive to insure. Note that for new cars registered after Aug 1 2024, group ratings have been replaced by a new Vehicle Risk Rating scheme. Cars registered before this will continue to use the traditional group rating system. Here, Telegraph Money explains the following: How do car insurance groups work? Car insurance groups Average insurance cost by group Can your car insurance group change? Other factors that affect your insurance premium How do car insurance groups work? The Group Rating Panel is made up of the Association of British Insurers (ABI) and Lloyds Market Association (LMA), and uses data provided by Thatcham, a risk intelligence organisation. When compiling the insurance classification for UK cars, the panel reviews more than 125 data points and considers the following factors: New car value: The more expensive the car when new, the more it will cost to replace or repair, putting it into a higher insurance group. Damage and parts costs: Insurers will aim to repair a car where possible. Vehicles with cheaper repair costs will fall into a lower group. Repair times: Longer jobs mean higher labour costs, which also affects the grouping. Performance: Vehicles with powerful acceleration and high speeds are at a higher risk of being involved in an accident, placing them in a higher group. Safety features: If a vehicle has improved safety systems, such as an Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) system, it is less likely to be involved in an accident and will be placed in a lower group. Car security: Insurance claims tend to be lower for cars with fitted security devices, such as alarm systems and immobilisers, and these will fall into a lower insurance group as a result. Where security has been rated, a letter may also follow the insurance group number to indicate the result of the assessment: A = Acceptable. The car meets the set standards for its group. D = Doesn't meet the set requirements for its group, so the car has been placed in a higher insurance group. E = Exceeds the set requirements for its group, so the car has been placed in a lower insurance group. P = Provisional. The rating system was incomplete when the car was launched, so the data for the car is only provisional. U = Unacceptable. The car's security falls well below requirements. Insurers may require an upgrade to security features before it can be insured. G = Grey import. The car has been imported, so it can't be rated. Car insurance groups The table below outlines the different car insurance groups and examples of the types of cars that typically fall into each one:
