Emergency braking is a critical active ADAS component that OEMs need to comply with upcoming regulatory requirements.
drivebuddyAI arrived at PRAWAAS with a product update that drew immediate attention. In just two days at the exhibition, the company received inquiries for more than 10,000 devices from bus / cab operators across the country, and was approached by nearly every OEM present for discussions on L2 ADAS integration and upcoming compliance requirements. The response, by any measure, was significant, said, Mr. Nisarg Pandya, CEO, drivebuddyAIAI.
The reason for the interest is a meaningful upgrade to what drivebuddyAI was offering earlier in the year. When the company introduced earlier, its system focused primarily on alert-based functions. Since then, it has added a driver drowsiness detection system, blind spot information, moving object detection, and collision warning. But the most important addition — and the one that has been getting OEMs talking — is emergency braking, he said.
Emergency braking is a critical active ADAS component that most OEMs need to meet upcoming compliance requirements. drivebuddyAI now has it ready. The complete system — a single-box solution — combines six cameras and one radar to handle both alert functions and active braking in a single integrated product. The algorithm behind it has been developed and validated specifically for Indian conditions, accounting for local road behaviour, weather, and traffic patterns.
Validation has been rigorous; the system has been tested on simulators, real world scenarios through hardware-in-loop and software -in-loop testing, and verified against AIS162 (specifies type approval requirements for Advanced Emergency Braking Systems – AEBS) and Electronic Stability Control -ESC systems in heavy vehicles) compliance standards in support from ARAI. Field testing is the next step, and the company says it is now ready to offer a complete compliance solution to OEMs.
Multiple OEMs are already at different stages of engagement — some evaluating the product, others at the homologation and certification stage. Several new OEMs who approached the company at PRAWAAS are now exploring how to integrate the system with their brake suppliers. drivebuddyAI expects these conversations to convert into firm business opportunities within the next three months, he said.
What the response at the expo also confirmed is a broader shift in buyer behaviour. Fleet operators buying new buses are increasingly asking for ADAS as a first-fitment requirement rather than an afterthought. For the company, that shift in mindset — from nice-to-have to must-have — could not have come at a better time, Mr. Pandya added.
