Driving Licence: Good news! Microsoft develops a Smartphone-based driving test in India
Driving Licence: To make a fairer analysis of a motor driver's ability before issuing him or her the DL, Microsoft Research has innovated a Smartphone-based driving test.
In a bid to make a fairer analysis of a motor driver's ability to drive before issuing him or her its Driving Licence or DL, Microsoft Research has innovated a Smartphone-based driving test. This driving test leverages the power of AI (Artificial Intelligence).
Uttarakhand Lead the Race
Commenting upon the Smartphone-based driving test before issuing the DL, the Microsoft Researchers informed that such a DL system has been deployed in Dehradun's RTO (Regional Training Office) in Uttarakhand and it is all set to be implemented across India. The technology that Microsoft has developed to automate driver license tests is called HAMS, which is short for Harnessing AutoMobiles for Safety. Photo: Reuters
Automation of Evaluator's Burden
"The main challenge in the traditional driver's license test is the burden placed on the human evaluators and the resulting subjectivity that a candidate faces," Venkat Padmanabhan, Deputy Managing Director, Microsoft Research India, who started the HAMS project in 2016, said in a statement adding, "Automation using HAMS technology can not only help relieve evaluators of the burden but also make the process objective and transparent for candidates." Photo: Reuters
Harnessing AutoMobiles for Safety
Driver license testing is a pressing problem. For instance, a survey by SaveLIFE Foundation in India reported that a whopping 59 per cent of the respondents did not give a test to obtain a driving license. HAMS, in its general incarnation, uses the smartphone's front and rear cameras, and other sensors, to monitor the driver (for instance, their gaze) and the road scene in front (for instance, the distance to the vehicle in front), simultaneously. Photo: Reuters
Powered by Artificial Intelligence or AI
The driving license system employs advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) models, which the team has developed for efficient and robust operation. Photo: Reuters
Designated Test Maneuvers
For driving tests, HAMS has been customized to include capabilities such as precise tracking of the vehicle`s trajectory during designated test maneuvers, for instance, parallel parking or negotiating a roundabout. Photo: Reuters