Autonomous driving and ADAS

How a self-driving vehicle sees

Lidar and lane-level maps tell the driving software what is around the vehicle.

Box 1 makes the lidar that sees around the car and the maps that show each lane. Box 2 recognises what is there, plans the path and controls the steering and brakes. Tap a title in the diagram to jump to its companies.

Lidar and lane-level maps 2 companies

These companies make a sensor that builds a 3D picture around the car, and the maps that assisted and self-driving cars depend on.

AevaAeva, with engineers in Bengaluru, makes lidar that measures the speed of everything it sees as well as its distance.

HERE TechnologiesHERE Technologies, with engineers in Mumbai, makes the lane-level maps that assisted and self-driving cars depend on.Mumbai · BengaluruHired recentlySee alsoMapping and location intelligence platforms

The tech, explainedAutomotive cameras, radar and lidar

Self-driving and driver-assistance software 5 companies

These companies build the software that recognises what the sensors see, plans the path and drives, and the simulation in which it is tested.

WaymoWaymo, owned by Alphabet, Google's parent company, has engineers in Bengaluru. It runs driverless taxis in several American cities.BengaluruHired recently

Applied IntuitionApplied Intuition, with engineers in Bengaluru, sells simulation software and software that drives an autonomous vehicle. Carmakers and defence companies use it to build their own.Bengaluru

Virya Autonomous TechnologiesVirya Autonomous Technologies, in Bengaluru, is another company that works on self-driving.Bengaluru

EdgeVerse IndiaEdgeVerse India makes software that recognises what a vehicle's sensors see, and assistance systems for scooter and motorcycle riders.

Rekise MarineRekise Marine, with engineers in Bengaluru, builds autonomous vessels that sail on the surface or under water.See alsoDrones and defence tech

The tech, explainedAutonomous driving software Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS)Autonomous vehicle simulation Robotaxi↗ Urban mobility

How it all worksAutomotive technologyScreens, self-braking and an app that unlocks it.

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What's changing

The AI model that drives.

Self-driving used to rely on rules written by hand. Now it relies on large AI models trained on millions of hours of driving, which go from what the cameras see straight to steering and braking. Indian roads, with scooters, cattle and unmarked lanes, remain among the hardest, and rider assistance for two-wheelers is where Indian start-ups are starting.