Latest news with #P.Rajalakshmi
Time of India
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Time of India
IIT-Hyderabad deploys India's first driverless electric buses for daily campus service
The Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IIT-H) has rolled out fully driverless electric buses for daily use on its campus, marking the first deployment of its kind in India, India Today reports. Developed by the institute's Technology Innovation Hub on Autonomous Navigation (TiHAN), the two variants — a six-seater and a fourteen-seater — have already transported over 10,000 passengers. Equipped with Autonomous Emergency Braking and Adaptive Cruise Control, the vehicles can detect obstacles, adjust speed, and maintain safe distances without human intervention. The buses have achieved Technology Readiness Level 9, confirming their performance in real-world conditions. TiHAN, which also built India's first autonomous navigation testbed replicating local driving environments, aims to use the initiative as both a sustainable mobility solution and a showcase of homegrown autonomous technology. 'This is part of a larger vision to develop technologies tailored to the complexities of Indian traffic,' said Professor P. Rajalakshmi, who heads the TiHAN programme. The testbed will serve as a shared platform for industry, researchers, and government agencies to validate self-driving systems before public deployment. Alongside vehicle development, TiHAN is investing in talent through AI and Machine Learning training programmes to create a skilled workforce capable of designing and maintaining autonomous systems. While operations are currently limited to the campus, the project is viewed as a precursor to autonomous public transport in India. Wider rollout will depend on regulatory clearances, rigorous safety trials, and adaptation to the country's unpredictable road conditions.
India Today
3 days ago
- Automotive
- India Today
IIT-Hyderabad begins AI-powered driverless bus service on campus
The Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IIT-H) has put driverless buses into daily service on its campus, marking a first-of-its-kind deployment in the country. The vehicles, built by the institute's Technology Innovation Hub on Autonomous Navigation (TiHAN), are fully electric and operate without a human variants, a six-seater and a fourteen-seater, are in operation. The buses, newly added to the campus roads, are already a regular sight, having transported more than 10,000 reports that passenger feedback has been largely positive, with a satisfaction rate of about 90 per DRIVERLESS BUSES REACH FULL TECH READINESS The technology is not experimental. The buses are fitted with Autonomous Emergency Braking and Adaptive Cruise Control systems, allowing them to adjust speed, detect obstacles, and maintain safe project has reached Technology Readiness Level 9, meaning it has been proven in real-world IIT-H, the project is both a transport solution and a demonstration of what is possible in India's mobility sector. TiHAN has also built the country's first autonomous navigation facility replicates Indian driving conditions, enabling companies, researchers, and government bodies to test and validate self-driving systems before they are used on public TESTBED AIMS TO PREPARE INDIA FOR AUTONOMOUS MOBILITY ROLLOUTProfessor P. Rajalakshmi, who heads the TiHAN initiative, has described the buses as part of a wider plan to develop technologies that meet the specific challenges of Indian traffic. The testbed will function as a shared resource, offering access to infrastructure, data, and controlled testing zones for private industry and academic hub is also investing in people. Alongside the vehicle programme, TiHAN runs training in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to build a pool of engineers and researchers skilled in autonomous systems. These programmes are intended to ensure that the expertise required to design, build, and maintain such systems exists within the the buses currently operate only within IIT-H's boundaries, the project is seen as an early step towards the introduction of autonomous public transport in India. Any such move beyond controlled spaces will require regulatory approvals, extensive safety testing, and adaptation to the unpredictable realities of Indian roads.- Ends
