Minus Zero Unveils India’s First Autonomous Vehicle
Minus Zero, an AI start-up based in Bengaluru, has unveiled the zPod autonomous driving concept, positioning it as India’s first autonomous vehicle. The fully-electric prototype utilizes a camera-sensor suite and exhibits Level 5 autonomy capabilities, enabling operation without human intervention across diverse environmental and geographical conditions. Level 5 autonomy represents the highest level of autonomous driving, where a vehicle can navigate without human involvement in all driving scenarios.
Minus Zero was founded in 2021 by Gagandeep Reehal and Gursimran Kalra with the aim of bridging the technology gap in the mobility industry. It will facilitate safe and scalable autonomous driving through its proprietary AI approach.
Instead of a steering wheel, the zPod relies on high-resolution cameras strategically placed throughout the vehicle. These cameras capture real-time images of the surroundings, transmitting them to the AI system, which analyzes the data to make informed decisions regarding navigation, speed control, and obstacle avoidance. With its camera-based approach, the zPod is a more cost-effective autonomous vehicle than those relying on expensive sensor arrays, according to Minus Zero.
Initially, the zPod’s application will be limited to in-campus mobility, targeting transportation within specific controlled environments such as tech parks, university campuses, corporate campuses, or other institutions with well-defined areas. Additionally, Minus Zero intends to provide its technology to OEMs as a means to enhance their advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).
Announcing the company’s role in the mobility sector, CEO and co-founder Gagandeep Reehal said, “Due to the lack of safe autonomous vehicle solutions, many lives are lost each year, and economies lose several billion dollars. With true vision and autonomy coming to the fore, one can make autonomous vehicles a reality, solving major pain points in the mobility paradigm.”
Minus Zero offers automotive OEMs a platform to explore new design possibilities through their innovation and AI breakthroughs. Mobility will be redefined from a driver-centric approach to a user-focused experience. Co-founder Gursimran Kalra said, “Our concepts are a revolution in the automotive industry. They allow automakers to explore various design possibilities for vehicles, currently limited by driver-led design constraints. We aim to redefine mobility from a driver-centric hassle to a user-focused experiential design.”
Looking ahead, Minus Zero intends to further develop its proprietary technologies, Nature Inspired AI (NIA) and True Vision Autonomy (TVA) while exploring collaborative opportunities with OEMs to drive growth and advancement in the field.
