Autonomous or self-driving cars are expected to become the future of mobility in the world. Many manufacturers and IT giants are testing autonomous cars around the world and are developing new technology to make the autonomous cars a success. Tata Motors, the automotive giant from India is also working on a similar technology and is using the Tata Hexa as a base car for the project.
Tata Motors European Technical Centre (TMETC), UK-based R&D centre has completed the trial tests of the Tata Hexa autonomous vehicle. Tata started testing the autonomous car in November 2017. It was started in collaboration with UK Autodrive and the autonomous SUV was tested on the public roads of the UK. A number of Tata Hexa fitted with various mapping equipment and sensors mounted on the roof could be seen on the UK roads.
Rajendra Petkar, Chief Technology Officer, Tata Motors,
“At Engineering Research Centre (ERC) we have been actively undertaking R&D work on advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) as well as full vehicle autonomy in order to be future ready. Road congestion, air pollution and road safety, are acute concerns in India. We are likely to embrace connected, electric and shared technology sooner and therefore it is essential we remain at the forefront of these developments. Autonomy will be a consideration for the future in India. With the support of our much talented team at TMETC, I am delighted to share that the trials done on the HEXA have yielded immensely rewarding insights for us. Going forward, we plan to introduce number of ADAS functionalities in a structured & phased manner.”
The conclusion of the tests are not known yet but we may see further development of the technology that was put on an extensive test by the brand. Various equipment like Advanced Driver Assistance Sytems (ADAS), Green Light Optimal Speed Advisory (GLOSA) and Electronic Emergency Brake Light (EEBL) were put on tests. The technical centre is planning to introduce the ADAS functionalities in the road cars. The test results may not give us a full-fledged autonomous car soon but the flagship Jaguar Land Rover models would surely see some high-tech driver assistance in the near future.