Akshata Sharma
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Bhopal-based Swaayatt Robots (स्वायत्त रोबोट्स) gained widespread attention earlier this year when it showcased demos featuring the driverless Mahindra Bolero successfully navigating through two-way traffic on a single-lane road.
The demo videos gained attention on social media and caught the eye of Anand Mahindra.
Founder Sanjeev Sharma believes the company needs more funding to realize its Level 5 autonomy project.
The company currently has $6.3 million to advance their research but may require around $1.5 billion to implement the model on a larger scale.
What's in it for investors?
Sharma claims the company is planning a major demo in August.
"If the August demo doesn't excite Sam Altman and Elon Musk, along with the world, I don't know what will," he told AnalysticsIndiaMag.
Earlier this year, the company executed a demo where it claimed to have achieved Level 5 Autonomy.
Sanjeev plans to increase driverless vehicle speed up to 60 km/h.
Last October, the company tested autonomous vehicles navigating two-way traffic on single-lane roads at 44 km/h.
Future Plans:
Swaayatt plans to focus on targeting the military and autonomous trucking market.
Sharma also emphasised the need to develop a system for retrofitting existing aftermarket vehicles in the military's autonomous driving market.
He further said that Swaayatt Robots has been in talks with some of the fleet owners in the US.
The Irony:
Sanjeev is in touch with most Indian manufacturers except Mahindra, which is ironic since Anand Mahindra recently praised his startup.
Still, Sanjeev firmly believes Mahindra's vehicles are robust and easy to modify.
Is Swaayatt Robots A Direct Competitor of Tesla?
Sanjeev Sharma is leading Swaayatt as an R&D company with a strong focus on advanced research in autonomous navigation.
In a recent interview with Analytics Drift, he emphasized the dedication to cutting-edge R&D in Al, computer science, and mathematics to create safe and cost-efficient autonomous navigation models.
Unlike Tesla, they currently don't have plans to sell cars in the near future.
The entrepreneur from Bhopal pointed out how major companies like Tesla consider crossing a managed traffic light intersection in the US as a big achievement.
He also talked about successfully navigating bi-directional traffic in a 2023 demo and stressed the challenges involved in research and development.
Additionally, he emphasized the importance of addressing safety issues, mentioning GM's Cruise accident as an example.
Ultimately, Sharma's goal is to develop advanced driverless autonomous technology that surpasses current models, including Tesla's.
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