Minus Zero, an autonomous mobility startup Takes a Nature-Inspired Approach to AI
Autonomous mobility has faced numerous challenges that have hindered its widespread adoption. Bengaluru-based startup, Minus Zero, believes it has found a solution by incorporating a nature-inspired approach to artificial intelligence (AI). Minus Zero aims to make AI more humanlike in order to push the limits of autonomous vehicles (AVs).
Gagandeep Reehal, CEO and Co-founder of Minus Zero, states that for AI to work effectively for humans, it needs to be able to think like a human. Minus Zero trains its AI models using a cognitive approach that allows them to make decisions based on the actions of multiple variables, such as vehicles moving in different directions.
Reehal’s nature-inspired AI focuses on three key aspects: representation, prediction, and adaptation. He believes that the human brain prioritizes the correlation between data points rather than storing specific details. By training AI to look for correlations, it can continuously learn new behaviors and adapt to different scenarios.
In simulation testing, Minus Zero’s autonomous vehicles outperformed existing AI models and were able to navigate real-world scenarios almost as well as a human. Reehal states that their AI made safer decisions in some cases where a human might have made risky ones. He also envisions a future where AVs can communicate with each other, sharing vital information and enhancing overall safety.
Minus Zero partners with manufacturers to create a fleet of AVs, offering AI-powered software, dashcams, and sensors to enable safe navigation. The startup has raised $1.7 million in funding and plans to launch in India, with potential for manufacturing AVs in other locations based on demand.
At an event, Minus Zero showcased their zPod, an all-terrain vehicle capable of achieving Level 5 autonomy, the highest level of self-driving capability without human intervention. Competitors of Minus Zero include well-known players in the autonomous mobility industry such as Waymo, Cruise, Aurora, and Tesla.
