India’s First Self-Driving Car is Here? Bengaluru Startup Unveils ZPod With No Steering Wheel, Level 5 Autonomy

An Indian startup based in Bengaluru, Minus Zero has unveiled what it claims is India’s first fully autonomous vehicle – the ZPod. The vehicle, which can scale up to Level 5 autonomy, doesn’t have a steering wheel and navigates using a network of strategically placed high-resolution cameras, according to the company.

Cameras mounted on the vehicle capture real-time images of the surroundings and send it to AI software which processes and makes decisions on how to navigate the vehicle. The startup claims that the Level 5 autonomy can help the vehicle operate in all geographical conditions.

Gursimran Singh, one of the co-founders of Minus Zero told News18, “Basically, this is the first concept vehicle launched in India so that we can elaborate on how AI can change the future. This particular vehicle is built on our owner’s nature-inspired AI, which we believe is the right way to mimic the human mind in the AI ​​paradigm. This vehicle can do all the maneuvers right now that a normal human can do in a campus environment and there are many more things it can do and learn over time to deliver a safe and healthy ride in the future.

As for when the ZPod might hit the market, Gagandeep Singh, one of the co-founders, says it depends on where it’s being used. “We always discuss this adoption journey. A lot of trial and error process is being done. If you talk about on campus, for users, I think they are not far away. Public For roads, there is still some portion of trial and errors that we are doing. Maybe in the coming days you will have a better understanding of when you will see them on public roads,” says Gagandeep.

Gursimran adds: “Whenever a new technology is launched, it is a journey. When we started building rockets, we didn’t get to the moon the first time. There are several points in the process. We are developing this technology for India and also for the world. Our proprietary AI inspired by nature, how the human brain works, is a truly remarkable feature of Indian Drivers. I believe Indian drivers are very good. If we can drive in India, we can drive in any country in the world. I believe this could be a possible case of AI as well.

Here’s what you need to know about the ZPod:

• The vehicle includes strategically placed high-resolution sensory cameras to capture real-time images of the surroundings and send them to the AI.
• The computer inside receives the real-time images, processes it and makes decisions about how to navigate the vehicle.
• The ZPod does not have a steering wheel and can extend to Level 5 autonomy.
• The ZPod can now be used in enclosed spaces such as campuses or residential complexes.