During the demonstration, a Mobileye representative explained the vehicle’s capabilities as it navigated traffic autonomously.Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal tested autonomous driving technology during his official visit to Israel last week, riding in a Mobileye demonstration vehicle through Jerusalem streets.
“The autonomous drive by Mobileye in Jerusalem was a perfect blend of precision & engineering. Exciting times ahead for mobility technology!” Goyal wrote on social media following the ride.
During the demonstration, a Mobileye representative explained the vehicle’s capabilities as it navigated traffic autonomously. “You can see the traffic lights here and the full map, and I don’t have to do anything — the car handles all the driving, stopping, and overtaking,” the representative said. The system uses 11 cameras rather than the four Goyal initially assumed. Two front-facing cameras provide different fields of view — one at 120 degrees for wide coverage, another at 28 degrees that extends visibility to 400-600 metres ahead. Four corner cameras, positioned at the front and rear, each offer 100-degree views at eight-megapixel resolution.
Notably, the system operates without LiDAR sensors, which the company said makes it more cost-effective. Five radar units supplement the camera array through what Mobileye calls “radar fusion”.
When asked about practical benefits, the representative cited safety as the primary advantage, noting that the technology compensates for lapses in driver attention. The system functions as assisted driving rather than full autonomy, with the driver remaining responsible for vehicle operation.
Part of bilateral talks
The technology demonstration followed Goyal’s initiation of Free Trade Agreement negotiations between India and Israel. His November 20-21 visit included discussions with Israeli Economy Minister Nir Barkat on cooperation in agriculture, technology, trade and investment. Goyal said that India could leverage Israeli innovation given its domestic talent pool and implementation capacity. He expressed interest in deepening partnerships around startup development, particularly in deep technology sectors.
Mobileye, founded in 1999 by Professor Amnon Shashua at Hebrew University of Jerusalem, develops vision-based driver assistance and autonomous driving systems for the automotive industry.
