Final Draft: Product Summary and Analysis

‘Autonomai’ is a state-of-the-art automobile middleware platform developed by Tata Elxsi as per its website  (“Autonomai,” n.d.). It was invented to help original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and system suppliers manufacture and analyse the applications in their vehicles. It administers a comprehensive solution encompassing three systems, namely the perception system, the Guidance, Navigation and Control system (GNC) and the drive-by-wire systems. ‘Autonomai’ is essential for the future of autonomous vehicles with its support of sensor fusion, use of artificial intelligence (AI) and ever-adapting formulas. The perception system scans the immediate surroundings and uses its algorithms to take note regarding the traffic details at that moment. Based on this data provided by the perception system, the GNC will make choices to prepare and command the self-driving vehicle. According to the website, some fundamental aspects of ‘Autonomai’ include “modular architecture" and the “plug and play architecture”(“Autonomai,” n.d., para. 7). It has a group of sensors built according to the request and specifications of each consumer. Thus making 'Autonomai' a one of a kind product in its industry. 

However, many major automotive manufacturers are in the race to produce groundbreaking driverless systems. One such example is BMW who have been testing their own driverless systems since the beginning of this decade(The National, 2011). Hence to make a name of their own, Tata Elxsi has come up with ‘Autonomai’ to transcend in the autonomous industry.   

One of the reasons as to why ‘Autonomai’ was a cut above the rest was the addition of the advanced perception system. This perception system scans the immediate surroundings and uses its algorithms to take note regarding the traffic details at that moment. Some of these sensors as stated by the website are “long-range radars, lidars, stereo cameras, monocular cameras and ultrasonic sensors”, afterwards the data accumulated by these sensors are then processed using “sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning-based algorithms” as per the website (“Autonomai,” n.d., para. 3).

Another reason that truly makes ‘Autonomai’ unrivalled is its Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) system. Based on the data provided by the perception system, the GNC system will make choices to prepare and command the self-driving vehicle to ensure safe passage. With the usage of these sensors and the additional boost of artificial intelligence, Tata Elxsi has taken the first step into significantly improving autonomous vehicles as we know it. Hence, the true challenge now for Tata Elxsi is to prove to the big companies such as General Motors that its middleware platform is one of a kind and is the solution that the autonomous vehicle industry has been craving for.

In comparison, competitors such as Mentor, which is run as a subsidiary by Siemens, do not have the same level of perception system or GNC that Tata Elxsi offers. According to Mentor’s website, “And our approach will accelerate progress toward Level 4/5 autonomous vehicles.’, which proves that they are still approaching a level 4 or 5 status for autonomous vehicles(Mentor, n.d., para 4). However, according to PR Newswire’s article, Tata Elxsi already has a level 5 certification(PR Newswire, 2017, para 7). Hence, proving that ‘Autonomai’ is a leader in its industry.

In conclusion, Tata Elxsi’s ‘Autonomai’ has made waves across the industry and is truly at the pedestal for making self-driving vehicles a norm in our society. Self-driving cars were once a glimpse into the future, but now it is a reality. The acceleration of the rate of growth of technology has been simply staggering and it is clear that Tata Elxsi has been at the forefront for the surge in its particular industry.

Mentor. (n.d.) Autonomous driving and driver assist solutions. Retrieved 29^th September 2019 from https://www.mentor.com/mentor-automotive/autonomous/

PR Newswire. (2017). Tata Elxsi's 'AUTONOMAI' Driverless Car Platform Selected by Leading OEM. Retrieved 29^th September 2019 from https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tata-elxsis-autonomai-driverless-car-platform-selected-by-leading-oem-626401521.html

Tata Elxsi. (n.d.). Autonomai. Retrieved 22^nd September 2019 from https://www.tataelxsi.com/ip-solution/automotive/Autonomai.html

The National. (2011). An automated adventure at the wheel of a driverless BMW. Retrieved 04^th December 2019 from https://www.thenational.ae/business/an-automated-adventure-at-the-wheel-of-a-driverless-bmw-1.371963