MG Motor India, a fully-owned subsidiary of China’s largest carmaker SAIC Motor Corporation, today announced its partnership with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi – one of the most prestigious technology institutes in India, for developing technologies and applications to boost in-car child safety.
The project between MG Motor India and IIT Delhi titled ‘Geofencing for child safety through ECU control’, was announced at the FITT (Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer) silver jubilee function held at IIT Delhi campus on 28th July 2018.
The IIT Delhi project team is working on an application that will enable owners of upcoming MG cars in India to track and alert the whereabouts of their children, including their entry, exit in to the car as well as their seating position within the car. The application will also alert users if the car is driven beyond a pre-defined route map.
“MG Motor India continuously looks at providing a platform to innovators, students and start-ups to develop technologies and features for our upcoming cars, that will be produced in India. This project has been conceptualized to fast-track realization of better child safety mechanisms in cars. IIT Delhi engineers will also conduct research and development activities to explore other car features that enhance child safety,” said Rajeev Chaba, President & Managing Director, MG Motor India.
Commenting on the occasion, Dr. Anil Wali, MD of FITT, said: “IIT Delhi has been committed to developing the latest technologies in close collaboration with the leading industry players. We are glad to partner MG Motor India to research and develop applications to enhance in-car child safety, which is the need of the hour.”
Much before its first product hits the market in Q2 2019, MG Motor India has already taken various initiatives to promote innovation among students and start-ups in India. As part of its “MG Innovation Program”, launched in 2017, which is aimed at fostering a culture of innovation, the company in association with TiE Delhi had shortlisted 5-startups in the auto-tech space for using their solutions in its future cars. The company also conducted a hackathon on how to make transportation safer and cleaner with Navrachna University students in Vadodara, Gujarat, where its manufacturing facility is located, earlier in May this year.
