Geo-mapping firm Genesys ties up with Wipro to develop autonomous car tech

India-based geospatial services firm Genesys on Wednesday said that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with IT services provider Wipro to build self-driving technologies, a stock-exchange filing showed.

Genesys will use its core strength and expertise to develop high-definition maps and content, while Wipro will create the navigational and control technology for autonomous systems and smart mobility companies. The first activity under this MoU was to create an HD map of the Wipro campus in Bengaluru.

Along with the map, Wipro also piloted an autonomous vehicle inside its campus, the filing stated.

“Wipro's partnership with Genesys will further accelerate the deployment of these solutions in the autonomous system space. This partnership enhances Wipro's offering in the autonomous system market and reinforces our ability to support the initiative of our global customers," KR Sanjiv, chief technology officer at the IT services major, said.

He added that autonomous vehicles are the future as they can save time, be environment-friendly and also help in decongesting roads in some ways. However, he said that high-precision spatial mapping content, whether for roads, factories, warehouses, mines, or farms, is essential for a world envisaged by the autonomous vehicles.

“HD Maps, particularly built for autonomous maneuvering, need to have centimetre-level precision as the vehicles need very precise instructions to move themselves around the 3D space and complete the task assigned. HD maps or reality capture thus indeed heralds a new age of mapping services and geospatial content creation, delivery and updation,” Sanjiv explained.

Rajendra Tamhane, senior vice president, Genesys, said that the HD mapping for autonomous driving is a $10-billion opportunity. “Every autonomous vehicle sold will have approximately $225 worth of maps content. With two decades of experience in the geospatial technology and being pioneers in state-of-the-art LiDAR technology in India, we understand the mapping business better than anybody else,” he said.

Along with one of its partners, Genesys recently completed HD maps for 1,200 kilometres of a road and street network for an autonomous driving project within a retirement community, the filing stated.

Other companies working on self-driving technologies in India include Google's Waymo, Uber and Nvidia in partnership with carmakers.

Gurugram-based Hi-Tech Robotic Systemz has also developed a self-driving car technology called Novus Drive. Founded in 2004 by Anuj Kapuria, an alumnus of Carnegie Mellon University, the company claims to hold more than 50 patents across the world for emerging technologies.

It works on other driver-assist technologies such as Novus Aware, which it has rolled out in India in partnership with Daimler India Commercial Vehicles Pvt. Ltd.