Driverless Technology Conference 2016 Update

Speaker Announcements

Austen Okonweze - Head of Research & Development, Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles

Austen is Head of Research and Development at the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles which is the new UK Government policy Unit based jointly in the Department for Transport and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. The Centre was set up to drive Government’s activity in the area of connected and autonomous Vehicles and to help ensure the UK is one of the best places in the work for developing and testing connected and autonomous vehicles. He has responsibility for delivering CCAV’s research and development programme which is supporting the development of new CAV technologies and enabling world class demonstration in the UK.

Andy Dumbell - Managing Director, Control F1

With over 15 years' experience in the telematics industry, Andy co-founded award-winning digital technology company Control F1 in 2010 to provide software solutions for business. Control F1 has served as the RAC's telematics technology partner, and works with a number of other businesses – including maritime tracking experts BigOceanData – to develop Machine to Machine and Internet of Things solutions. Control F1 is the lead partner on iMotors, a CAV (Connected and Autonomous Vehicles) research and development project, funded by Innovate UK. iMotors will deliver contextual intelligence to connected cars, and aims to standardise how connected vehicles communicate with one another, and with other machines.

Professor Paul Newman - BP Professor of Information Engineering, University of Oxford

Paul Newman is the BP Professor of Information Engineering at the University of Oxford and an EPSRC Leadership Fellow. He heads the Mobile Robotics Group within the Department of Engineering Science which enjoys a world leading reputation in mobile autonomy - developing machines, robots and cars which map, navigate through and understand their environments. His focus lies on pushing the boundaries of navigation and autonomy techniques in terms of both endurance and scale. The Mobile Robotics Group has developed a keen focus on intelligent transport for example the RobotCar and enjoys collaborations with many industrial partners which provide exploitation opportunities to drive the research. In 2014 he founded Oxbotica - a spinout company focussed on Robotics and Autonomous Systems - and was elected fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering with a citation for outstanding contributions to robot navigation.

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Partnership Announcements

We are delighted to announce FISITA as partners for this year's Driverless Technology Conference.

FISITA is the international federation that brings together the global automotive mobility sector to share ideas and advance automotive technological development. Founded in 1948, we are uniquely placed to promote excellence and support the development of safe, sustainable and affordable mobility solutions. FISITA enables automotive engineering societies and corporate organisations to connect with each other, network, share technological advancements and collaborate. Since creation, FISITA has seen significant growth in influence and relevance and today our network of Member Societies and corporate members of the Honorary Committee reach over 210,000 engineers in 37 countries, placing us at the heart of the industry. FISITA facilitates dialogue between engineers and industry, governments, academia, and environmental and standards organisations, across all areas of automotive technology. We are proud to be contributing at the forefront of education and learning through our Education Committee and other academic initiatives. As part of this strategic engagement, we support the professional development of engineers, while providing resources and opportunities for students and young engineers breaking into the profession. Through our various education initiatives, FISITA promotes the automotive mobility sector as a career pathway of choice and supports engineers throughout their career journey. Further information can be found at the FISITA website

Image: Left to right - Austen Okonwese, Andy Dumbell, Professor Paul Newman