Since the 80s, the global automotive industry has been actively exploring the potential and possibilities of autonomous vehicle technology, with developments advancing rapidly in the past decade. Notably, India wasn’t hopping on the bandwagon – until Dr. Roshy John came along, that is.
It was Dr. John’s initial research that spurred his employer, the $12 billion IT services firm Tata Consultancy Services, to enter this fast-growing field. Having earned a Ph.D in robotics from National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli, India, he’s been in robotics for a decade and a half. and spent more than five years working on self-driving cars – on his own steam.
Back in 2010, when John was taking a cab home from the airport late at night in Kochi, he noticed that the driver was sleepy and driving callously as a result. That’s when he decided to look into creating a solution so people wouldn’t have to risk their lives to earn a living, and so passengers would be able to count on a safe ride home.