The Centre for Transport Studies is pleased to welcome
Professor Martin Lowson (President of Ultra Global PRT)
to lead a seminar entitled
Driverless Future Transport: An Assessment of PRT and AV Technologies
to be held
Wednesday 24 October 2012 - 16:00
Please join us for presentation and discussion at
Room 060, Skempton Building, Imperial College London
Maps and travel directions: http://<http://www.cts.cv.imperial.ac.uk/html/Miscellaneous/travelDirections.asp>www.cts.cv.imperial.ac.uk/html/Miscellaneous/travelDirections.asp<http://www.cts.cv.imperial.ac.uk/html/Miscellaneous/travelDirections.asp>
Abstract
Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) and Autonomous Vehicles (AV) offer driverless transportation options which could change the nature of future transport. The two technologies will be described and compared. The Ultra PRT system is characteristic of PRT. It was approved for use with passengers with no driver in 2003 and has been in full operation at Heathrow since April 2011. There are a wide number of AV projects, the best known of which is the Google Car, although there are many others. All AV currently operate either in a highly constrained environment or with a safety driver. Features of Ultra will be described and compared with those of more conventional transport. Lessons learned from practical operations at Heathrow will be discussed and new applications both in the UK and abroad described. The current state of AV technologies will be analysed, with emphasis on the prospects of providing a safe system in the absence of driver supervision. The advantages and problems associated with both types will be compared and assessed. It is concluded that the most likely development of future transport will exploit lessons learned from both technologies.
About the Speakers
Martin Lowson is President of Ultra Global PRT. He founded the original company in 1995. His background is principally in Aerospace Engineering. He graduated from the University of Southampton and subsequently worked on the Apollo Moon landing program. He returned to the UK, working for Westland Helicopters as Chief Scientist and Director of Corporate Development. He then moved to Bristol University as Sir George White Professor and Head of the Aerospace Engineering Department. He is Fellow of the Acoustical Society of America, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the Royal Aeronautical Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering. He has won a variety of National and International Awards for his work in both Aerospace Engineering and Transportation.
Next CTS Seminar
The CTS seminars team would like to extend the invitation to the joint Imperial College London and The Lloyds Register Educational Trust (LRET) Annual Lecture on Transport Risk Management: Cyber safety in Europe’s transport system by Professor Chris Johnson (University of Glasgow) at Imperial College London on Wednesday 31 October @ 17:30. For further details and to register for this lecture please follow the link:
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/newsandeventspggrp/imperialcollege/eventssummary/event_24-7-2012-9-24-24
About the CTS Seminar Series
The CTS seminar series aims to facilitate discussion on current research topics in the transport field. Seminars are held jointly with our colleagues in the Centre for Transport Studies at University College London. They are usually held on Wednesday afternoons at Imperial College London or University College London.
Seminars are free of charge and open to all interested parties. Booking is not required.
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CTS home: www.imperial.ac.uk/cts<http://www.imperial.ac.uk/cts> (Imperial College London)
www.cege.ucl.ac.uk/cts<http://www.cege.ucl.ac.uk/cts> (University College London)
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