| Millbrook
Andrew Eastlake, Millbrook’s head of laboratories
What social/economic/technological trends do you think will have
the greatest impact on car design in 2018?
Clearly Safety and the Environment will still be the key issues. I do
not think we will have "solved" them by 2018 so they will remain
on the agenda. I would hope and expect to see society move to "an
Integrated Energy Approach" by which I mean our activity will all
be mapped in terms of it's energy impact. (Our homes, Jobs, Travel both
business and pleasure, consumption in all aspects) which will enable better
management and more appropriate choices to be made. Already there has
been discussion of Personal Carbon Allowances, I see the current focus
on Carbon moving to Energy (as low carbon energy sources are brought on
stream)
What technologies will be key in 2018?
Communication technology and control technology will be the critical areas.
Communication to and from vehicles and infrastructure will be used both
to enhance safety and efficiency. Control of our driving from external
sources will also be prevelant by 2018. Sensor technology will be a crucial
enabler for the active safety and driving technologies which will be introduced.
Sensing of other road users, sensing of driver attitude and behaviour,
sensing of vehicle systems operability.
How will your products and business sector develop?
Test and development will still be a key business activity and proving
the new technology in safe and controlled environments will be mandatory
prior to operating in the field. Legislation will broaden its remit to
consider greater relevance to the real world, so a good understanding
of real whole vehicle operation will be critical to designing the validation
tests
Where do you see the big opportunities?
Model correlation is an increasing aspect in areas such as structures.
This will become more and more the driver for test work as the models
and simulation tools develop. Driving legislation to greater relevance
will also be a key aspect of our business.
What skills/specialisms will you need from engineers in 2018?
Of course there is a need for electrical engineers in the power electronics
and control of the drive systems. Sensor calibration and algorithm development
will be critical to the success of the new technology introductions. As
systems become more complex our engineers will need to have a good broad
understanding of the vehicle systems and be able to consider the interaction
between them. Formal FMEA will become commonplace in every aspect of our
operation, but this is only as good as the knowledge base and imagination
of the team.
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