Kevin Gilday, group product and compliance manager at SRL Traffic Systems, talks about some of the challenges the industry needs to overcome to drive innovation forward and highlights why it is important to look at adopting existing standards and catering for all users.
Q. What is the best way to try innovations on a huge customer base?
A. “With so much emphasis on safety and regulation in the traffic industry, it is essential to continually innovate in order to bring new developments to market. Many of these innovations need to be tested and proven to be safe before they’re introduced, which means that most are then ‘market ready’ and can therefore be launched on a wide scale. However, at SRL, we would generally plan a soft launch for any new innovations, so we know that we have the necessary capacity and resources to deploy in a controlled way. This also helps us to learn from its initial use and customer feedback, so we can refine any products before they’re rolled out to market on a much wider scale.”
Q. What are some of the main challenges you face when it comes to engaging with the wider sector?
A. “Sometimes, there is a lack of understanding in the wider sector about regulations and this can lead to wrong assumptions being made about what can be done to support or resolve problems on the highway. For those that have been in the industry for a while, it’s often second nature to understand what is acceptable and safe and what isn’t. However, for the wider sector this is not always the case, and some may not appreciate the full impact that certain decisions may have on safety. The sector is now seeing and dealing with a larger number of instances where both product and scheme designs are being progressed without the potential safety implications being fully considered.”
Q. What cutting edge technologies are you most excited about?
A. “For me, the exciting technologies are the ones that are designed to support the move towards assisted and autonomous driving. The advances in vehicle-to-vehicle communications (for safety), and developments in vehicle-to-infrastructure (for control and guidance) are both moving forward at a pace.
“That said, I believe that we are probably some 20 years away from autonomous driving becoming widely used and there are many issues that need to be carefully considered before we get there. As far as SRL is concerned, we need to examine the impact that certain scenarios, such as deploying temporary traffic lights at short notice, could have on self-driving vehicles. Manufacturers will also need to ensure that the technology safely overrides those normal everyday situations – like short-term roadworks – that drivers currently deal with instinctively.”
Q. In what ways does the sector need to evolve?
A. “The Traffic Control and ITS industry will need to evolve, particularly around technology and innovation. It will also need to look at already published standards, such as those that exist in Europe. Most, if not all motor manufacturers, will need to be compliant with the emerging and published European standards, so the UK may wish to integrate these in a more strategic way than we probably have done to date.”
Q. Can regulation be a barrier to innovation?
A. “Yes, regulation certainly can be a barrier to innovation, but, when you are operating in a safety critical environment, such as traffic control, which is moving towards autonomous vehicles, then regulation is absolutely essential. Of course, safety can have an impact on innovation and those who are experienced in this industry will be aware of any potential implications and how we can potentially overcome them. The important thing is not to let regulation stifle innovation – good ideas should always be shared, reviewed and fully considered.”
Q. In what ways can the industry work better with local authorities and should there be a greater sharing of knowledge?
A. “As a technology supplier, SRL is always open to sharing knowledge. Traditionally in the traffic control world, this was a lot easier as the typical local authority client’s expertise resided in the local authority itself. However, changes in some local authorities and the outsourcing of a lot of their technical work, means that it can be more difficult for companies to now find the right people to share knowledge and experience with.”
Q. How do you stop innovation from just being another buzzword and instead something that is acted upon?
A. To answer this question, I think we need to consider it in two different ways. Firstly, there is innovation and its associated safety. Here, the Traffic Control and ITS industry has generally relied on the fact that those who are responsible for innovation are familiar with the rules, regulations, standards and approvals that apply. Many of these policies directly relate to safety, whilst others work on the basis that road users and the general public are both familiar with, and understand, them.
“The second area is innovation and functionality, which is all about how we make products that are more efficient and easier to understand and use. Here, we must bear in mind the end user, their age range and abilities. People are different and they react to technology in different ways – one thing may be intuitive to one person, but it could be very confusing (and therefore dangerous) to another.
“In an industry that needs to address the masses, we cannot make assumptions about how quickly people will understand and adopt new developments. Innovation should be a gradual process of replacing old technology with new and it should be supported by widespread awareness campaigns to sell its capabilities and potential benefits.”