Wipro, IISc Make India's Indigenous Driverless Car WIRIN in Bengaluru

A driverless car called WIRIN (Wipro-IISc Research and Innovation Network), developed jointly by Wipro, the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and RV College of Engineering, was recently showcased in Bengaluru.

A video of Sri Satyatmatheertha Swamiji of the Uttaradi Matha sitting inside the car recently went viral on X, formerly Twitter. The video, posted by Adarsh Hegde (@adarshahgd), shows the seer comfortably seated as the autonomous car glides across the college campus, powered entirely by homegrown self-driving technology.

Six-Year Collaboration

"The event was presided over by Ramachandra Budhihal, global head, autonomous systems and robotics at Wipro, MP Shyam, president of Rashtreeya Sikshana Samithi Trust (RSST) and KN Subramanya, principal of RVCE. This innovation and collaboration is the result of six years of designing and developing an indigenous autonomous car by a team of faculty and students, coordinated by faculties Uttara Kumari and Rajaa Vidya of RV College of Engineering," a source was quoted as saying by Moneycontrol.

Prototype Designed for Indian Roads

In 2019, IISc and Wipro joined hands to develop a prototype driverless car suited for Indian roads with potholes and cattle crossings.

Wipro, which partnered with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has set up Wipro IISc Research and Innovation Network (WIRIN) to advance research in autonomous systems, robotics, and 5G. The joint team focuses on AI, machine learning, visual computing, HCI, and Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communication.

Their work aims to benefit industry applications whilst enhancing IISc's research capabilities. The collaboration builds on Wipro's years of experience in autonomous systems, including simulators and vehicles capable of cognitive navigation and 5G-based V2X communication.

The successful demonstration of WIRIN is a significant milestone in India's pursuit of indigenous autonomous vehicle technology. 

Unlike many global autonomous vehicle projects that rely primarily on foreign technology, WIRIN has been engineered specifically to navigate the unique challenges of Indian road infrastructure, including inconsistent road surfaces, unpredictable traffic patterns, and the presence of livestock.