For those visiting the Auto
Expo – The Motor Show at Greater Noida, one vehicle caught their fancy. It was
the Novus-Drive, a driverless shuttle manufactured by The Hi-Tech Robotics
Systemz Ltd. (THRSL). It is India’s first driverless vehicle and it works on
the technology of Artificial Intelligence. The path planning and obstacle
avoidance is achieved through machine
driven algorithms. It has the capacity to carry 14 people at a time.
Talking about the success
story of THRSL, Anuj Kapuria, Director & CEO, THRSL said, ‘I left my PHD
midway to form this company in India, Robotics and automation were my passion
and I chose them to be my profession. We have brought out is the first driver-less
vehicle which is completely made in India from research to technology and Novus
Drive would revolutionise the transport in large campuses and townships. Its
success will pave for more driver-less vehicles from us.”
Nitin Gadkari, Minister of
Road Transport and Highways on his visit to the Auto expo saw the operation of
this driverless vehicle and was visibly pleased when acquainted with the fact
that it was entirely developed in India. He was impressed with the array of
features loaded in the shuttle and said that, "I am delighted to witness
this driverless vehicle. This vehicle is not only a made in India vehicle but
it also addresses the environmental concerns. It gives me immense pleasure to
see that the young generation is involved in the R&D of this project, I
wish them luck for their future endeavor.”
The shuttle is best suited for
commuting in controlled atmosphere i.e. Intra-university travel, large office
campus, elderly health care communities, trade fair and theme parks along with
the upcoming smart cities. The vehicle is a first of its kind manufactured in
India. The Hi-Tech Robotic Systems
Limited (THRSL) was founded in late 2004. THRSL is India's first and pioneering
company in the field of Intelligent systems, Mobile Robotics, Artificial
Intelligence and Computer Vision. The Company has successfully developed and
commercialised a wide range of robotic products catering to the needs of
Defence, homeland security & Industrial Sectors.
Source: THRSL