- Earlier this year, local carmaker Tata Motors sought permission to test its driverless vehicle on Bengaluru’s roads.
- A number of Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) are also working on such automobiles tailor-made for the country.
- There’s been one major hurdle to self-driving technology in India: a legion of lawbreakers, from rash drivers and jaywalkers to cattle. But University of Michigan dean of engineering Alec Gallimore believes this isn’t an insurmountable problem.
- “What I can tell is, there is a method to the apparent madness,” Gallimore said. “There’s no lane discipline, but there’s a lot of other things that have taken its place because you’re getting a lot of efficiencies.” The trick is to teach the machines to follow those unsaid rules.
- In India, cruising down city streets and highways may not be the go-to but local companies can try close-circuit trials within college campuses, business parks, hospitals, and other gated communities, Gallimore says. Here, the cars would be able to manoeuvre local idiosyncrasies, though not at high speeds or with tonnes of traffic that could confuse the system.
- Meanwhile, for all its benefits, there are fears that the technology will exacerbate India’s already jobless growth. India’s road and transport minister Nitin Gadkari has vowed to ban self-driving technology which could potentially steal jobs.
More here: https://qz.com/1133101/making-the-case-for-why-it-should-not-be-the-end-of-the-road-for-autonomous-cars-in-india-university-of-michigan-dean-alec-gallimore/
The Smart Mobility Daily 