These IIT Students Transformed an Electric Golf Cart into a fully Automated Driverless Vehicle

Ten BTech-fourth-year students from the Gandhinagar campus of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) designed and developed a fully automated driverless vehicle. This vehicle was made from an electric golf cart and was a part of their coursework on Autonomous Vehicles. Nine out of ten students specialise in Mechanical Engineering and one is from a Chemical Engineering background.

The vehicle works on a fully automated engine and requires no driver. It features a regular camera, a depth camera and a lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) with sensors. The hardware modifications include a steering mechanism, braking system and acceleration control, with equipped computer vision and automatic control algorithms. 

With these sensors and systems in place, it allows the vehicle to perform tasks such as lane and object detection avoiding hindrances. Extensive real-life testing was carried out on the roads of the IIT Gandhinagar campus by the students ensuring safety through multiple backup systems, manual overrides and emergency stops. The vehicle manoeuvred at a speed of 7 kmph during the test. 

The project commenced in January 2024, with a budget of approximately Rs 65,000 (excluding the cost of the vehicle and computer) which proved to be successful after 5 months of rigorous efforts from these bunch of students.