DiscoverCars.Com

Bengaluru-based Minus Zero unveils zPod autonomous driving concept

-
Minus Zero zPod

Minus Zero, a Bengaluru-based, autonomous driving start-up has unveiled the zPod, which it claims is India’s first autonomous vehicle. It showcases the full-self driving tech developed by the aritifical intelligence (AI) firm. Minus Zero says it's not an automotive manufacturer, rather it’s a tech firm that will provide its autonomous driving tech to other manufacturers to help improve their ADAS suite. 

  1. Minus Zero zPod may not be put into production
  2. The firm uses its propretiary Nature inspired AI for autonomous driving
  3. Minus Zero will provide its tech to manufacturers to help improve their ADAS suite

Minus Zero’s AI tech

The zPod is merely a technological showcase of what Minus Zero is trying to achieve. The firm claims its motives are to reduce traffic congestion as well as road accidents and the injuries and fatalities associated with them. Unlike many autonomous vehicles, the zPod does not employ the use of LIDAR (light detection and ranging) but instead uses an array of six cameras – four on the sides and two at the front and back. 

The firm also showcased its True Vision Autonomy concept that uses the aforementioned cameras as its sensors to navigate obstacles. Minus Zero also says that it can be adapted to any existing vehicle form factor, be it EVs or ICE. According to the company, its autonomous driving tech could also be retrofitted to existing cars on the road, provided they come with an engine control module.

Minus Zero claims that it will solve a few key problems faced during the development of autonomous vehicles with its new form of AI it calls Nature Inspired AI (NIA). These problems include expensive hardware, the requirement of extensive data, and navigation through complex traffic conditions as well as unruly infrastructure. Minus Zero says the current paradigm used in AI development is prone to fail in conditions it is not trained in. The firm says it will employ the use of physics-aware vision and predictive-decision making like a human brain. 

Minus Zero zPod concept

As mentioned, the zPod is an autonomous vehicle that can drive in any geographical and environmental condition using its camera suite. Minus Zero claims it can scale up to autonomous level 5 – basically have no human intervention while driving in real-world conditions – with its AI tech. 

The zPod is a four-seater electric vehicle that has its seats facing each other and does not feature any controls and layout of a conventional car. All of the driving is done by the AI and it processes all of the information captured by the images captured by the cameras in real-time to make an informed decision. The use of the camera suite will help bring down the costs, claims Minus Zero. 

Minus Zero says the near future use case of the zPod and its AI tech will be limited to in-campus mobility – transportation within the confines of a geo-fence, away from public roads. The zPod can be used in places like educational campuses, residential areas, tech parks, etc. 

Will Minus Zero zPod be put in production?

Interestingly, Minus Zero claims it has no intention to put the zPod into production and that it was merely a showcase of the AI-based autonomous driving technology it has developed. The firm also says the zPod can be an inspiration for automakers to explore new possibilities for vehicle design that are not driver-centric. According to Minus Zero, this type of vehicle design will help humans interact in a nature intended to – face to face. 

Also see:

The new brain for self-driving cars that’s as quick as yours



from Autocar India https://ift.tt/Ozs6Y25

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

550hp BMW M3 CS is the most powerful M3 yet

-
Image
BMW has taken the wraps off its most powerful M3 ever, the F80 M3 CS, which is even more powerful than the BMW M3 competition. The BMW M3 CS will be sold in sedan bodystyle only and in limited numbers worldwide.  BMW M3 sedan gets 550hp twin-turbo petrol Does 0-100kph in 3.4 seconds Gets BMW’s xDrive AWD tech with selectable RWD BMW M3 CS: design and interior  The M3 CS is set apart from the M3 Competition visually by a raft of design tweaks, such as an angrier-looking, open front grille designed to match the front end of BMW’s GT4-spec M4 racer. Gaping air intakes round off the new-look nose. These are joined by a host of items that enhance aerodynamics, such as a wide front splitter and a lipped rear spoiler. It gets special V-spoke gold wheels – 19-inch at the front and 20-inch at the rear – shod with track-focused tyres. The M compound brakes come with red calipers, while carbon-ceramic brakes are also available. The interior broadly matches that of the M3 Competition, w
Read more

Electric Volvo S90 replacement specifications leaked

-
Image
Details have emerged of Volvo 's new flagship electric saloon – a model internally codenamed as the V551, but expected to take the ES90 name when it goes on sale in 2025. The model will be produced at a factory owned and operated by Volvo’s parent company Geely in China, as revealed in a photograph and specifications leaked by the company’s board, beginning in May 2024. All-electric ES90 sedan to share underpinnings with EX90 SUV Will come with 111kWh battery pack with up to 600km range Will rival the likes of Mercedes EQE sedan and BMW i5 A photograph published to Volvo's employee intranet shows members of Volvo’s production team in Zhejiang huddled around signs that read “Volvo Cars V551 First VP Car Celebration” and “Confidential Top Secret". The reference to VP stands for 'Verification Prototype'. The car, however, is completely obscured from view, ahead of an expected unveiling in the coming months.   Volvo electric sedan specifications leaked The lux
Read more

TVS’ scooter market share increases in the April-January period

-
Image
After seeing a sustained slowdown for over two years, India's scooter market is finally recovering. As per the wholesale numbers, released by Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), a total of 43,61,347 units were dispatched in the April 2022 to January 2023 period. This is an increase of 9,79,594 units or a 29 percent year-on-year increase - April 2021-January 2022 was 33,81,753 units. Petrol scooter OEMs market share: details The top five OEMs account for 41,35,615 units or 95 percent of the total but dissect this further and the top three players – Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI), TVS Motor Company and Suzuki – cumulatively have 36,69,244 units or 84 percent of the industry numbers. While these three have each recorded over 20 percent growth, the fastest growth (at 50 percent) comes from TVS, which is reflected in its 24 percent market share, up from 20.42 percent a year ago. Scooter market leader HMSI with 20,43,993 units has recorded 24 percent grow
Read more