Maruti Suzuki India has collaborated with Microsoft Research India to design a smartphone-based technology for testing the applicants seeking driver’s license. The joint venture has set up an Automated Driving Test Centre (ADTC) at Dehradun in association with the Transport Department, Government of Uttarakhand.
The ADTC utilises a smartphone-based technology named The Harnessing Automobile for Safety (HAMS) which is jointly developed and tested by Maruti Suzuki-promoted Institute of Driving and Traffic Research (IDTR) and Microsoft Research India. This technology is based on artificial intelligence models for conducting efficient and robust operations. Under this automated test, the applicants undergoing the test are connected to a HAMS-enabled smartphone that supervises the road and the driving pattern. The entire process takes just 10 minutes and the smartphone generates a detailed report of the test.
It is observed that the average pass test has drastically reduced from 90 percent to just 54 percent. However, the applicants have welcomed the change seeing the transparency and objectivity of the entire procedure. In situations where applicants are not satisfied with the report, they can choose to watch the video recording of their test drive.
Highlighting the benefits of HAMS technology, Sriram Rajamani, managing director, Microsoft Research India said, “Positively impacting society by combining technology and human ingenuity has been a core objective for us, and the HAMS project is a great example of this. We use technology to help drivers drive safely. It is inspiring that Maruti Suzuki India and the Department of Transport, Government of Uttarakhand, see the potential to save lives using HAMS technology and are piloting this technology to help make Indian roads safer.”
Speaking on the deployment of this new test technology for driver training, Ajay Kumar Tomer, executive advisor, Maruti Suzuki India said, “Maruti Suzuki started its driving training initiative in 2000. We have cumulatively trained over 3.4 million drivers nationally. Efficient testing of candidates seeking a driver’s license is an important step towards imparting good driving behaviour. The use of latest technologies help bring transparency. HAMS, developed in partnership with Microsoft Research India, is an important tool to modernise the driving license test in our country. Starting with ADTC Dehradun, this technology will be introduced in more centres across several states.”
