Lovely Professional University steps in Driverless Car Era

• LPU Engineering students design a concept through which a car can be operated with mobile phone from anywhere in the world
• Invention could bring a new revolution in the automobile industry
• Car can be commanded well for day as well as night vision
• Similar vehicles effective in the defence sector

With an aim to encourage and support its students at all levels, Lovely Professional University (LPU) marks an important step in the history of the Indian education industry. The engineering students of LPU have created the first of its kind concept through a car can be run with the use of mobile phones from any location in the world.

This model has been designed by four students of Electronics & Communication and Mechanical Engineering who under the guidance of mentors utilized their knowledge of advances in wireless communications technology. The car is pliable on both the auto and manual modes and has safety provisions such as child-lock system while being on auto mode. Anyone sitting at pillion seat can also drive on his/her own on asking the driver having an access to the remote seated operator. The model which can be commanded well for day as well as night vision has also been successfully tested for 1000+ kilometers' driving.

Commenting on the significant development, the Chancellor of LPU, Mr. Ashok Mittal said: "It is indeed a different kind of automotive experience. This project is pioneer in the automobile industry and probably can give new dimensions to how people can commute.”

"The future cars using a wide variety of sensors would be easily able to detect pedestrians, objects which will allow the car to slow or stop suddenly. As a computer is far more precise and subject to far fewer errors than a human, accident rates will nose-dive when these vehicles become available to consumers. So, this driverless technology would maintain more productive commute, fewer traffic jams, safer-roads and environment friendly operations. We have been immensely pleased to note that automobile industry approached us and interest in using this technology." He also added: "This technology will also be very helpful in the defence sector and challenged people. I congratulate the devoted students who are now aspiring to soon cover the second phase of this technology to enroll themselves among such other technologists of the developed country like US."

Emerging in success, novel car-designers and automotive visionary students of LPU, Bikas (M Tech ECE), Lokesh Ramina (B.Tech ECE), Rahul Jain (Mech. Engg.) and Suvendu (Mech. Engg.) informed more about their dream project: "We are very happy on the success of our future car. Imagining from our childhood- Robotics toys, remote sensing cars; we four collaboratively devised the present car utilizing Internet, Mobile Phone, Laptop, C+ language Programming, Micro-Controller Board with ATMEGA 128 IC, under electrical control circuit." Recollecting about their efforts for the projected car, they said: "We could not sleep for many nights in devising out this project of ours and many a time got firm boosting from our mentors, when we faced hurdles in the project." They also informed that presently the project is utilized in an electrically operated car which would also be possible in any other type of vehicle.

In fact, many changes in transportation infrastructure and policy, coupled with technology advances, can certainly make driverless plying of vehicles all possible in the near future. In this context, it is illustrative that at auto shows and tech conferences, prototypes of such cars offer a visual narrative into what is expected on the nation's roads a decade from now. Nevada has already become the first state, in US, to embrace this technology, which is surely the future of automobiles and related industry.