As regular Cars of the Future readers will know, we occasionally like to look back in a series we call… Cars of the Past. Well, today is one of those days.
Following last year’s release of a 1971 news broadcast on “driverless cars and the future of motoring”, the BBC Archive has published another great Retro Transport report: “The Self-Driving Car Of Tomorrow”, from 1967.
The “dual-mode” Self-Transport Road and Rail Car (staRRcar), was designed by Harvard graduate William Alden in the 1960s.
The report describes it as “America’s answer to the universal problem of personal transport in congested cities – combining the door-to-door convenience of the private car with the speed and relaxation of public transport at its best.”
Self-driving on track
The battery-powered three-seater can be driven ‘normally’ on local roads, but also has the ability to join automated guideways – 8ft-wide tracks designed to be installed alongside existing road lanes.
Self-driving on track in 1967: Alden staRRcar
Users simply press a button to select their destination, sit back and read the paper, while the staRRcar slots into a train of such vehicles, self-driving at up to 60mph.
After taking a spur exit, they can retake control and continue their journey, or leave the staRRcar at a car park, ready to be used by others.
Congratulations to all involved in the CAVForth project. The UK’s first self-driving bus service (with a safety driver) is up and running – operating, according to the Stagecoach Bus website, a “frequent timetable from Monday 15th May with the capacity for around 10,000 passenger journeys per week”.
Officially still a trial, a fleet of five Alexander Dennis Enviro200AV buses will travel at up to 50mph from Ferrytoll Park & Ride in Fife to Edinburgh Park Transport Interchange – crossing the iconic Forth Road Bridge.
Self-driving success
When we interviewed Jim Hutchinson, CEO of Fusion Processing – the company behind the CAVstar software platform – back in 2021, he predicted that CAVForth would put the UK on the self-driving map. And it has.
Scotland’s Transport Minister, Kevin Stewart, and Ray O’Toole, Executive Chairman for Stagecoach, were among those at the media launch, with David Webb, Head of Innovation at the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV), heralding it “a global first”.
The local Dunfermline Press carried this great video of CAVForth in action.
CAVForth self-driving bus
Future expansion
What next? In February, we reported that CAVForth2 had won a healthy share of £81m in combined government and industry funding in the Commercialising Connected and Automated Mobility competition.
Alexander Dennis have confirmed that the project will extend the existing 14-mile route, taking it on to Dunfermline city centre. The additional five-mile section will feature more complex driving scenarios on busy A and B roads, including mixing with city centre traffic.
We still have the words of Jim Hutchinson ringing in our ears: “We developed the CAVstar platform as a scalable solution – a drive system we could put into pretty much any vehicle, from small cars up to HGV.”
Pictured L-R: Jim Hutchinson, CEO Fusion, Scottish Transport Minister, Kevin Stewart, Regional Director Stagecoach, Sam Greer, and Alexander Dennis President and Managing Director, Paul Davies.
New self-driving consumer opinion survey identifies continuing negativity and gender and age divides.
A new survey by Go.Compare car insurance has found that 45% of the UK population don’t like the idea of autonomous vehicles, they are, apparently, “Not AV’ing it”.
What’s more, it found a gender divide too, with 26% of men actively liking the idea, compared to just 13% of women, and an age divide, with more younger Brits, 32% of 18-24-year-olds, keen on the idea.
Ryan Fulthorpe, of Go.Compare, said: “While we’re still a way off AVs being an everyday occurrence on UK roads, it appears that may actually suit a lot of motorists for the moment, as they’re not quite ready for this type of travel.
“It’s understandable that there’s some reluctance as the use of AVs has always seemed like a futuristic idea, but with Ford and Nissan both making significant in-roads with the technology, and other manufacturers undoubtedly looking to the future, it’s fast becoming a reality.
“However, if we want to promote mainstream adoption of this type of travel, the general public will understandably need to see more proof that the technology is sound and is a safe way to travel, as well as it having other benefits, such as easing congestion in cities.”
The most famous example in the ‘Ave it! genre is, of course, the John Smiths advert starring Peter Kaye’s no-nonsense approach to football training. Enjoy!
The legendary Peter Kaye John Smiths advert – ‘Ave it!
Dr Daniel Ruiz on self-driving, the internet of transport and more.
Non-executive director at the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), and reviewer of major projects for the Cabinet Office, Oxbridge engineering graduate Dr Daniel Ruiz has had a stellar 40-year career in public transport.
He was previously head of real-time operations at Transport for London (TfL), notably set up the Transport Coordination Centre for the 2012 Olympics, founded the Transport Technology Forum (TTF), and was head of Zenzic, tasked with accelerating self-driving in the UK.
We started by asking him about the hype surrounding self-driving cars…
DR: “Hype can be the enemy of progress. I think in connected and autonomous mobility (CAM), it’s certainly the case that hype held things back. People became interested in just driverless cars, and that narrow interest resulted in a focus on the wrong things – not the best outcomes for society, the economy or the environment.
“Robotaxis have long been the sex symbol of the autonomous vehicle parc, but they’re not necessarily going to make the biggest, or soonest, impact. There’s an emerging realisation that there are greater opportunities in autonomous freight.
“This is partly because freight doesn’t complain about how fast it goes around corners. It’s also because of the many off-highway opportunities for freight movements. This enables you to prove safety and efficacy.”
How do self-driving cars fit into the future of transport?
DR: “You can easily conclude that driverless technology is expensive, therefore it will only be for multimillionaires. The reality is that much of the technology has been proven on buses and low speed shuttles – public transport services. These are going to proliferate much faster than private autonomous vehicles, not least because the regulations still need to be established.
“The driverless car that sits in your own garage is a bit of a distraction because it reflects the current transport paradigm – take one thing out, a driven car, and put something else in, a driverless car. It implies that everything else remains the same.
“We need to be thinking in more dimensions about what we want in terms of mobility. To deliver the ultimate transport system you need to satisfy the collective requirements of society. There’s not enough looking forwards, then working back.
“Michael Hurwitz, formally Director of Transport Innovation at TfL, often draws attention to the fact that, until recently, there were very few modes of transport. Now there’s electric scooters and bikes, hire schemes, ride sharing and more.
“We need to put less emphasis on the mode and think more in terms of getting from A to B in the most efficient and comfortable way. Maybe you’d be happy to walk to a scooter station, get that to the train, then pick up a cab. It’s the dwell times that inject frustration and inefficiency; that lead many to say: “It’s too complicated, I’m going to jump in the car”.
“Autonomous vehicles are part of the equation, but the C in CAM, ‘connectivity’, is also vital. The Internet of Transport (IoT) is probably the most important thing to be considering right now. How do we make sure that data and knowledge are flowing safely, securely, anonymously? Then there’s the financial side – how do you charge for stuff?
“At one point the UK was ahead of the game, certainly amongst the front runners. It isn’t as obvious that we are today, but the prize is still there. Legislation is the blocker. We haven’t moved on from the 2018 Automated and Electric Vehicles Act, although the excellent Law Commission review has recently pointed the way.”
Finally, tell us about your new job at the ORR…
DR: “The ORR is the independent regulator for Britain’s railways, and also monitors the performance of the Strategic Road Network. It has proven itself to be one of the better regulators, trusted to do a job in everyone’s best interest, and this is a very exciting time for both rail and road.
“The ORR has an obvious focus on safety and value of money, but to do this we’re increasingly involved with data – how intelligence can be brought to bear on improving the flow of traffic and the movement of people and goods.”
Please note: a version of this article was first published by the Institute of the Motor Industry’s MotorPro magazine.
Profile: Delivers.ai – the London-based last-mile self-driving delivery specialist.
In this Cars of the Future exclusive, we talk last mile self-driving delivery robots with Michael Lacy, Chief Strategy Officer at Delivers.ai
In October, the London-based on-demand autonomous delivery service reached the final round of the Zenzic CAM Scale-Up selection process, with Programme Director Mark Cracknell praising “The quality and range of the finalists – testament to the innovative solutions that will make future mobility cleaner, safer and more efficient”.
Chief Strategy Officer
ML: “The market we’re targeting is last-mile for emission free, restaurant food, grocery and parcel delivery to the doorstep. Our robots work on camera-based technologies and low-cost sensors, travel at pedestrian speeds – up to about 6km/h – and, for safety, they give way to other pavement or cycleway users.
Michael Lacy, Chief Strategy Officer at self-driving delivery robot company Delivers.ai
“We’ve been in R&D for the last 2 years and are now working with partners right across Europe on various pilot schemes. We’ve recently had investment from Ford, which is really important to us. Our long-term view is that our platform will ultimately be device agnostic – in that there will be different types and sizes of robots relative to the use case.
“Our business model is solely B2B, so our initial target partners include multi-site restaurant and grocery groups as well as parcel delivery operators. We looked at the volumes and average weights of grocery deliveries and developed our robot to have this capability. It can take a 30kg payload, enough for a multiple-item 3-day shop, with internal volume dimensions designed to take a stack of 14-inch pizza boxes.
Self-driving vehicle or robot?
“In terms of hurdles, it is taking time for the governance to catch up to the technology. It’s difficult to get a definition from a government body as to what is a robot and differentiate it from what is a vehicle – it seems open to interpretation, with different authorities taking different views. Some of the more progressive, like Milton Keynes and Northampton, are very clear that ours is a device, not a vehicle
“Raising awareness is a big part of this – demonstrating robots in practical use to the public and authorities to let them know that the safety angle has been carefully considered and educating businesses and local providers about the benefits of these devices. Not least in terms of cost savings, but also the drive to net zero and the substantial impact such a service has for those with mobility issues. Organisations such as Zenzic are very helpful to us in this regard and we again hope to be part of the CAM Scale-up this year.
“We’re also looking at other routes to market, for example, operating on private land. We’re discussing a pilot in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London, as well as approaching various other universities and business parks.
“The more places we can operate, the more we can raise awareness and help people to understand that these robots are going to be helpful, the better. Much of our R&D is focused on safety, making sure that the robot behaves appropriately in relation to all kinds of challenges – from curious dogs to busy road crossings.”
Big news! The Department for Transport has approved the use of Ford’s BlueCruise assisted driving system on parts of the UK motorway network. Be in no doubt, this is momentous – the first time UK drivers will legally be able to take their hands off the wheel. But what does it mean for self-driving?
The scope
As we sit here today, only a select few have gained the ability to sometimes go hands-free – drivers of 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E cars who activate a subscription. They can then use the “hands-off, eyes-on” tech on 2,300 miles of pre-mapped motorways in England, Scotland and Wales – the new ‘Blue Zones’.
UK motorway blue zones – April 2023
The Ford video below explains how it works, with the voiceover saying: “BlueCruise combines with your intelligent adaptive cruise control and lane-centering systems, allowing you to take your hands off the steering wheel while it maintains cruising speed and keeps you in your current lane.
“An infrared camera monitors your eye gaze and head position to ensure that you’re paying due care and attention to the road ahead. If the system finds you’re not looking at the road it will notify you either with an alert message displayed in the instrument cluster or by sounding an audible chime to remind you to return your eyes to the road.
“If you do not react to the warnings the system will cancel, gently pump the brakes to get your attention and slow your vehicle down while maintaining steering control.”
Ford itself describes BlueCruise as Level 2 driver assistance, and Transport Minister Jesse Norman made clear: “The latest advanced driver assistance systems make driving smoother and easier, but they can also help make roads safer.”
Jesse Norman, Minister of State in the Department for Transport
Lisa Brankin, managing director of Ford in Britain and Ireland, told the BBC‘s Today programme on Friday that, in the case of an accident, the driver will still be responsible as the technology is “not autonomous driving”.
The beeb also noted that other vehicle manufacturers offer similar systems – Tesla has Autopilot and Mercedes has Drive Pilot. Interestingly, the latter announced last year that it will accept legal responsibility for accidents caused by its system.
One of the main themes at the recent Zenzic Connected and Automated Mobility Innovators event was the need to do more to establish the UK as a global leader in CAM. This embracing of hands-free will be noted around the world.
Self-driving headlines
Unfortunately, and rather predictably, much of the UK media has again confused assisted driving and self-driving.
The Guardian went with the headline “First hands-free self-driving system approved for British motorways”.
The Sun went with “HANDS OFF Huge car firm is launching the UK’s first-approved self-driving technology”.
Various outlets, including ITV, even regurgitated the line from the press release that BlueCruise can operate up to 80mph. Not on UK roads presumably as that’s 10mph above the motorway speed limit!
Let’s be clear – this lack of clarity is dangerous. Lives are at stake and road safety should be paramount.
Eyes on the road
This Ford video shows a driver happily gazing out of the window and being warned to “watch the road”.
Ford hands-free video
As the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Connected and Automated Mobility stated in its red lines: “A statutory definition of self-driving must be established to distinguish this technology from assisted driving”.
The final word goes to Tom Leggett, of Thatcham, who emphasised: “For the first time ever drivers will be permitted to take their hands off the wheel. However, their eyes must remain on the road ahead. Crucially, the driver is not permitted to use their mobile, fall asleep or conduct any activity that takes attention away from the road.”
Microsoft co-founder blogs about his self-driving trip around London with Wayve CEO Alex Kendall
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has posted a great blog about the “surreal” experience of being driven around London in a self-driving Wayve.ai car with a safety driver.
“I give you credit for picking one of the most difficult situations I’ve seen,” he tells Wayve CEO Alex Kendall in this video:
Bill Gates posted this graphic on the SAE self-driving levels 1-5
“Right now, we’re close to the tipping point—between levels 2 and 3—when cars are becoming available that allow the driver to take their hands off the wheel and let the system drive in certain circumstances,” he says.
“Over the next decade, we’ll start to see more vehicles crossing this threshold. AVs are rapidly reaching the point where almost all of the technology required has been invented.
“As AVs become more common, we’re going to have to rethink many of the systems we’ve created to support driving. Car insurance is a great example.
“Governments will have to create new laws and regulations. Roads might even have to change. Will AVs eventually become so popular that you have to use the “human drivers only” lane if you want to be behind the wheel?”
On the Wayve test, he said: “The car drove us around downtown London, which is one of the most challenging driving environments imaginable, and it was a bit surreal to be in the car as it dodged all the traffic. (Since the car is still in development, we had a safety driver in the car just in case, and she assumed control several times.)”
Software-defined vehicle debate feat. experts in computer engineering, automotive fintech and ADAS.
In case you didn’t catch it live, Cars of the Future editor Neil Kennett recently moderated a fantastic discussion on The Evolution of Automotive Technology for Reuters Events.
The high-profile three-man panel consisted of Dr Mario De Felice, Head of Software Architecture at Jaguar Land Rover, Nico Kersten, CEO of Mercedes Pay, and Plato Pathrose, CTO of Vinfast.
With world leading expertise in computer engineering, automotive fintech and ADAS, the main topics covered included EVs and hybrids, software-defined vehicles (SDVs), over-the-air updates (OTAs) and in-car purchase systems (ICPSs).
In particular, they discussed an Accenture report predicting that revenues from digitally-enabled services will rise tenfold by 2040 (to US$3.5 trillion), and the letter by the European Association of Automotive Suppliers to the President of the European Commission calling for sector-specific regulation on the use and sharing of in-vehicle data.
They also covered Mercedes’ Drive Pilot becoming the first SAE Level 3 system in a standard production vehicle to be authorised for use on public freeways in America, and the UK’s recent self-driving public transport successes in Scotland and Didcot.
Software-defined debate
Highlights included…
How is modern software architecture changing vehicle design?
Mario De Felice: “At JLR we’ve integrated Alexa so that the user seamlessly moves from one ecosystem to the other – more complex software architecture enables all of those features. That revolution is incredible.”
How will in-car purchase systems deliver more personalised driving experiences?
Nico Kersten: “If you have digital extras available, you can really reconfigure your car. Two important words are trust and responsibility. This is how we need to approach data.”
What are the challenges and opportunities of being an emerging VM in the age of zero fatalities?
Plato Pathrose: “The major advantages we have are flexibility and adaptability. We have to deliver products that are stable and trustworthy, and show we are capable of providing better technologies.”
In this Cars of the Future exclusive, we talk solid-state 360-degree radar, ADAS, self-driving and Zenzic success with Dr Kashif Siddiq, founder of Oxford RF Solutions.
How did you come up with the 360-degree radar idea?
KS: “We’ve specialised in radar and sensor technologies for 15 years, creating a lot of tech for other businesses. Then it struck us that there’s a huge gap in the market.
“The problem we see is people taking off-the-shelf sensors and bolting them to vehicles to try and make them autonomous. This probably isn’t the right way of doing it. What we need is sensors designed specifically for autonomous vehicles. That was the idea behind Oxford RF.
“We’ve developed a prototype which solves some of the burning challenges in perception sensors for ADAS and self-driving. It also has drone, space and marine applications. It is the world’s first solid-state 360-degree sensor. Actually, we’ve already taken it to the next level by making it hemispherical, so it can see upwards in a dome as well as all-round.
“There are no moving parts and we have the capability to integrate multiple technologies within the same box, but we’re focusing mainly on radar for now.”
Oxford RF and the APC
Oxford RF has been supported by the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) via its Technology Developer Accelerator Programme (TDAP), including collaboration with the Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG).
Self-driving investment: Oxford RF has been supported by the Advanced Propulsion Centre
And won funding as one of 2022’s Zenzic CAM Scale-Up winners
KS: “We applied last year but at that stage we only had an idea rather than a technology to test. Now we have a working prototype and are really leading the thought process when it comes to perception sensing.
“The current situation with advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) is a mix of cameras, radars and lidars being used to effectively give a full 360-degree picture. There’s an architectural problem with this. First of all, the price.
“Each of those sensors is expensive and there’s so many of them. Then, obviously, all that data needs to be routed to a centralised computer, and that causes latency. Milliseconds are valuable when it comes to saving lives.
“Another issue is redundancy: what’s the backup if one sensor fails? All too often the answer is another sensor, which means yet more cost. And you start to run into the mutual interference problem.”
KS: “In a nutshell, we’ve reengineered sensor architecture. It doesn’t need to be radar, it can be any sensor. This allows us to reduce the sensor count.
“Initially we installed them on the car roof, but we’re moving them to the four corners, inside the bumpers. Less sensors means less latency in decision making, so it’s a faster system overall. It’s also inherently more resilient to interference.
“From a safety critical point of view, the four corners approach comes with redundancy built-in, because if one of the 360-degree sensors fails, two others are still looking at the same point.
“Delivering visibility in all conditions has to be seen as a deep tech problem and solved on a scientific basis. Are we able to reduce the mortality rate? That’s the real acid test.
“Further to that, from a finance point of view, can we reduce the cost of what I call the minimum viable sensor suite? Does that enable manufacturers to reduce car prices? Or insurers to reduce premiums due to less crashes?
ADAS first, then self-driving
KS: “We’re taking a beachhead approach and the first application will be ADAS. We’ll prove our technology there and then scale to full autonomy. Over the next year, we’re planning to produce about 100 of our solid-state 360-degree radars, to expand trials with our initial customers.
“We’re planning to start commercial production in 2024. From there, we’ll expand into other markets, as many as we practically can. For example, in drone applications, we’ll usually only need one sensor. For spacecraft, we’re looking at two front-facing sensors. For marine vessels, we’re talking about three sensors – one on the bow and two on the stern.
“It will take time to develop our business to a level where we can supply all of these markets, but it’s really good to see that there’s already significant interest.”
Last year’s Zenzic Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) Innovators event was a hard act to follow, forever remembered as our first post-covid industry do. 12 months on, CAM Innovators 2023 was a superior sequel – better attended and more vibrant, despite strike action by many of the keyworkers so lauded during the pandemic.
The venue was the same, the impressive Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) on The Embankment, but this time the generous breakfast was dominated by tales of travel disruption due to the tube strike. 200+ self-driving enthusiasts battling through London gridlock to discuss clean, convenient future mobility.
Heavy traffic on the day of the self-driving event
Fortunately, the packed agenda and quality networking made it more than worthwhile… and hats off to the organisers for that! Registration was on the third floor, with views across the river and displays by the latest cohort of CAM Scale-Up winners.
Here, we caught up with Michael Talbot of CCAV, Tom Leggett of Thatcham, Dr Kashif Siddiq of Oxford RF and Dr Antje Völker of Dromos, and met some new people too – Emily from kids’ science activity provider Curiosity Box, and Richard, a cybersecurity expert from Siemens.
L-R: Kashif, Emily and Antje
Before long we were gently encouraged to the ground floor theatre for a welcome by Zenzic’s Frances Williamson and Mark Cracknell.
CAM champion
There followed a keynote speech by Paul Newman of Oxbotica, recently appointed UK Automotive Council CAM Champion, who emphasised that autonomy is a system rather than a technology. “It must be delivered where it is needed most, not just in London and the Oxbridge area,” he said.
Mili Naik of Zenzic on key priorities
Mili Naik of Zenzic then provided a sneak preview of the newly updated UK CAM Roadmap to 2035. Notably, it predicts self-driving on the road in the UK by 2025, with a priority to build public confidence in CAM.
The first panel of the day, “What a truly connected and automated mobile future looks like”, was moderated by Zenzic’s Francis McKinney and featured Catherine Lovell of CCAV, David Skipp of Ford, David Telford of HV Systems, Gareth Bathers of Cyient, and Michael Hurwitz of PA Consulting.
Key stated benefits included enhanced mobility solutions for all, the oft-quoted 90%+ reduction in road accidents and, interestingly, a 70% energy saving.
Self-driving opportunities
Zenzic’s Bhavin Makwana then looked at “the opportunities for the UK to compete on a global stage”, with particular strengths in intellectual property, cybersecurity and insurance.
The second panel of the day, focussing on international perspectives, was moderated by Zenzic’s Edita Sawyers and Nicola Hare. It featured Per Olof Arnäs of Einride, Corey Clothier of Stantec, Katy Pell from the Department for Business and Trade, Ben Loewenstein of Waymo, Rebecca Marsden of Oxbotica and Kieran Borrett of Plug and Play.
Self-driving experts discuss the UK’s global leadership prospects
There was broad agreement that the UK needs to do more to establish itself as a global leader in CAM, with a surprising lack of recognition in America especially. Plenty of food for thought then, as we broke for lunch – and very nice it was too.
CAM Scale-up winners
The afternoon session began with Zenzic’s Phillip Ironside introducing representatives of the seven companies currently receiving support via the Zenzic CAM Scale-Up Programme – John Strutton of Axitech, Mihai Caleap of Calyo, Martin Dürr of Dromos, Anna Corp of Eloy, John Cartledge of Gaist, Kashif Siddiq of Oxford RF, and Mike Handley of PolyChord.
The current cohort of CAM Scale-up winners
Each had just 90 seconds to give their elevator pitch in a whirlwind of incredible innovation!
Daniela Menzky, of first Scale-Up cohort Angoka, then hosted a panel on the challenges facing start-ups. It featured Chris Reeves of Horiba Mira, Thomas Sors of second cohort Beam Connectivity, and Damian Horton of Eloy. The pleasing message was that Zenzic CAM Scale-Up support dramatically accelerates product development.
Commercialising CAM
We’d already heard from 10 or so companies in the hour since lunch and the pace picked up again as Michael Talbot introduced us to “The world’s most comprehensive mix of self-driving projects” – the seven winners of CCAV’s Commercialising Connected and Automated Mobility competition.
Jim Fleming of Fusion Processing spoke on behalf of CAVForth2, David Telford of HV Systems for Hub2Hub, Mike Dawson of Belfast Harbour Commissioners for Project Harlander, Gemma Schroeder of the Greater Cambridge Partnership for Project Connector, Liz St Louis of Sunderland City Council for Sunderland Advanced Mobility Shuttle, Paul Butler of the North East Automotive Alliance for V-CAL, and Tom Robinson of Conigital for Multi-Area Connected Automated Mobility (MACAM).
Amidst the plethora of ambitious plans, Project Harlander in Belfast has perhaps the greatest scope. It covers the vast port area, which has its own bylaws and therefore isn’t reliant on new UK legislation.
Questions from the audience included Professor Nick Reed enquiring about sharing data on safety – the panel all saw the benefits of working collaboratively – and Thatcham asking about OEM considerations – the only time all day that anyone mentioned conventional passenger cars!
CAM community
After a half-hour break for coffee and networking – a welcome chance to catch-up with Clem Robertson of R4dar– Kirsten Williamson of Petrus spoke briefly about skills and training, before joining a panel hosted by Zenzic’s Kit Golda on “Creating a UK CAM community”.
The final panel session at CAM Innovators 2023
They were joined by Karla Jakeman (previously of Innovate UK and now head of automated transport at TRL), Dr Antje Völker of Dromos, Dr Sally Stares of City University and Mark Preston of Streetdrone.
The latter explained how HGV drivers giving advice on reversing had been recruited to develop the AI, becoming leading advocates for self-driving.
The headline finding was that jobs in CAM are highly appealing to school children, much more so than traditional automotive – a suitably positive note on which to finish another fantastic event.
So, a date for your diary – we’ll do it all again next year, on 13 March.
