The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders’ Foresight Vehicle will showcase its plans for the future technology of Britain’s automotive industry on Monday.

Dr Nick Barter, director of the SMMT Foresight Vehicle and former Jaguar and Land Rover product development director, will tell the conference at the Institution of Electrical Engineers Automotive in Electronics in London: "Rather than resist change and shirk challenges, Britain's automotive industry is world class in exploring new technology to provide radical, practical solutions".

Some of the technologies and ideas that will be covered include:

  • zero failure electronics with self-monitoring circuits and active intervention

  • switches that do not have to be pressed but respond to finger pointing

  • sleep/drowsiness monitoring

  • on-board computers that predict vehicle and pedestrian movements and automatically trigger the car to respond to an emergency

  • real conversation voice control

    Many of the developments being fostered by SMMT Foresight will come into production within the next 10-20 years and a high proportion will involve advanced electronics.

    However, Dr Barter warns that for Britain to remain at the forefront of new technical solutions in the automotive sector, ‘it will be essential for the whole of the industry, government and academia to work more closely together’.

  • Visit Foresight Vehicle on the web at: www.foresightvehicle.org.uk