Meet the 24-Year-Old College Student from Surat Who Built India’s First AI-Powered Driverless Superbike

Innovation doesn’t always begin in a lab. For Shivam Maurya, it began with a bicycle on the streets of Surat.

At 15, he was tired of struggling up a steep overbridge on his way to school. Most kids would have accepted it as part of the ride. Shivam didn’t.

What if the cycle could run on its own? he thought.

Using his pocket money, he bought a small motor and a few parts, and turned his bicycle electric. That experiment became the first step in a journey that has now led him to build Garuda, an AI-powered driverless superbike.

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Meet the Innovator

Shivam was born in Uttar Pradesh but grew up in Surat, where his family moved for better opportunities. He remembers himself as “a curious kid who wanted to make things easier.”

Every morning on his way to school, he had to pedal hard to climb an overbridge on his cycle. Instead of grumbling, he looked for a solution. 

“9th class se hi socha ki kuch aisa karte hain jisse pedal maarna na pade aur cycle apne aap chale,” he recalls.

With just his pocket money, he bought motors and parts, eventually converting his cycle into an electric one. He uploaded the video to his new YouTube channel, Creative Science. It went viral, and the encouragement he received set him on his journey.

At home, though, not everyone was convinced. His parents doubted whether YouTube could ever pay.

“Pehle unhe believe nahi hua. Bola ki social media se koi paise nahi deta,” Shivam laughs. 

That changed the day his first payment of ₹48,000 arrived. From then on, his parents supported him wholeheartedly, and Shivam reinvested everything into new tools and projects.

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Choosing a Different Path

Unlike most of his classmates, Shivam didn’t follow the traditional academic route of 11th and 12th grade. 

Instead, he went for a diploma, because it offered more practical work. Later, he enrolled in B.Tech, but building and experimenting always remained at the center of his life.

“I never wanted to depend on my parents financially. YouTube and social media gave me the freedom to fund my own projects,” he says. 

His videos don’t just showcase finished products – they also share the process, encouraging others to learn and experiment.

The Struggles Behind the Success

As a teenager, Shivam could barely afford materials.

“Paise nahi the, to jo pocket money milti thi usse 3–4 mahine mein thoda thoda jod kar motors kharide,” he remembers.

Without access to professional labs, he set up a makeshift workshop in Surat. Many of his early projects failed, forcing him to start over. 

But Shivam sees those setbacks as necessary. 

“They were stepping stones,” he says, “that pushed me to think harder and innovate smarter.”

Garuda – The AI Superbike

His latest creation, the AI Superbike named Garuda,  looks like something out of a sci-fi film. With hollow wheels, a sleek frame, and a central hub packed with electronics and batteries, it is designed to be both futuristic and functional.

Key features of the bike include:

• Three operating modes: normal riding, phone-controlled riding, and fully autonomous driverless mode.

• Advanced sensors that detect obstacles up to 12 feet away and automatically stop if something comes within 3 feet.

• Live rider display connected to cameras, giving real-time visuals of the bike’s surroundings.

• Battery range of 200–220 km in eco mode and around 160 km in sport mode.

• Smart integrations like GPS navigation, wireless charging, calling, and even WhatsApp and Instagram message notifications.

• Futuristic design with hollow wheels and a lightweight yet sturdy build.

As Shivam explains, “Bike ke sensors 12 feet tak obstacle detect kar lete hain aur agar koi 3 feet ke andar aata hai to gaadi turant ruk jaati hai.”

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Investment and Costs

Building Garuda was not cheap. Shivam invested around ₹1.8 lakh, though he admits the actual cost is higher because research and development often require multiple iterations.

“It is very difficult to calculate exact costs in R&D. Every time you test something new, you might have to rebuild or replace components,” he says. For Shivam, however, learning and creation matter more than the money.

Testing and Development

While Shivam is the mind behind the projects, he works with a small team: a design partner who builds 3D models, a video editor, and a helper for workshop tasks. 

“Ideas aur engineering hamesha mera hota hai,” he emphasizes. 

The AI Superbike took nearly a year to complete. Seven months went into design and manual setup, and another three to four months into coding and sensor integration. It has already undergone 150–250 km of testing in low-traffic areas. 

“For testing, we rode the bike 15–20 km away from the city where there were fewer crowds,” Shivam says.

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Recognition and Response

When Shivam revealed Garuda, the response was immediate. 

Videos of the bike went viral within weeks, drawing interest from startups, universities, and even film production houses. National and international media have featured his work, hailing him as one of India’s most promising young innovators.

The reaction, Shivam says, has been “overwhelmingly positive.” Yet he stays grounded, choosing to focus on the next challenge rather than chasing commercialization.

Vision Ahead

Despite offers and recognition, Shivam is clear about his priorities. He wants to focus on research and development rather than setting up a production line.

“My vision is to keep making unique projects and inspire people. If I get into production, it will take years and I will lose focus on research,” he explains.

For Shivam, the journey is not about building a company but about building curiosity. 

“My dream is not to build a company, but to build curiosity,” he says.

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