*In the wake of the automotive industry’s ongoing technological transformation, characterized by the emergence of driverless cars, IIT-Hyderabad has stepped into this forefront by developing its own autonomous vehicles. Presently, these driverless cars are available for students and professors within the institute’s campus. Employing diverse sensor technologies created at the Technology Innovation Hub on Autonomous Navigation (TiHAN) center, India’s premier Autonomous Navigation Testbed (Aerial & Terrestrial) facility, these autonomous shuttle cars gracefully traverse the IIT-Hyderabad campus.*
*The shuttle cars have undergone rigorous testing, equipped with a LiDAR-based navigation system, and have been effectively integrated into the campus infrastructure. Notably, TiHAN is not confined to just shuttle cars but also undertakes the development of various autonomous vehicles, encompassing both aerial and ground-based models. These innovative vehicles offer advanced, eco-conscious, and secure mobility solutions for the future.*
*Furthermore, TiHAN plays an active role in shaping India’s regulations for autonomous vehicles and standard procedures for automated vehicle operations. These self-driving cars hold significant potential in controlled environments such as warehouses, university campuses, and airports.*
*The establishment of TiHAN at IIT Hyderabad stands as a collaborative endeavor, involving multiple academic departments including Electrical Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Civil Engineering, Mathematics, Design, and Entrepreneurship at IITH. This initiative enjoys substantial support and cooperation from esteemed academic institutions and industry partners.*
*Under the aegis of the Ministry of Heavy Industries, the Government of India formalized a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with TiHAN at IIT Hyderabad on June 7, 2023. The core objectives of this partnership are to bolster workforce capabilities in the realm of automated driving by harnessing TiHAN’s technical proficiency and infrastructure.*