Interview with Robert Watkins — AIRS Lead
What is your role at AIDrivers?
I focus on the retrofitting and conversion of manual diesel trucks with drive-by-wire for precision controls to enable autonomous drive of terminal trailer trucks. This speeds up the time to market of AI enabled autonomous vehicles for port terminals globally.
How did you get to where you are now with AIDrivers?
I graduated from Stellenbosch University in South Africa with a degree in Mechatronic Engineering. I’ve always had a great passion for robotics and automation since being a child when I used to take apart remote control cars for fun. At university, my final year project was on automated vehicles. I had to design and develop a small scale fully functioning platform which was a great opportunity to explore digital control and drive-by-wire engineering.
A year and a half ago I joined the team at AIDrivers to focus on autonomous retrofitting and my role has grown since that point to incorporate the development of sensory systems including the steering, engine and braking sensors into the vehicles to ensure they are all functioning seamlessly with the correct safety standards. Now, I am responsible and lead the team for Autonomous, Intelligent Retrofitting System ‘AIRS’ which is designed for trailer trucks.
What’s it like working at AIDrivers?
I feel that I have settled well into the role as Dr Swash has been really supportive. He’s a bottom-up kind of leader and is with me and the team on site, when we are designing and he’s always around to help us work out problems. AI is developed by humans and not itself and I really feel this with the collaborative way we work. Dr Swash is always very human about how he manages us all. Taking time to step away from problems and get some headspace is quite often the best way of solving the issue and Dr Swash encourages this.
What has drawn you to AI and AI enabled autonomous mobility automation as your career?
They are new and exciting fields with limitless possibilities that will allow us to create ever-more efficient systems creatively to accelerate growth into a sustainable and positive future. I genuinely feel that despite the fears, AI will actually create new sustainable jobs to fuel our society and I wanted to be part of the change to contribute in shaping the future. AI and autonomy are shifting the paradigm with how we do things. They will be an integral part of business operations, industrial tools and machines to enable us to do our work more efficiently and effectively sustainably.
Why did you join AIDrivers specifically?
This is easy to answer: the challenge! I also really liked the energy from the team to design and develop ai enabled solutions to meet the industry needs today. The company truly is taking engineering to the next level of creativity which solves todays problems and meet the tomorrows sustainability.
What do you see as your greatest contribution to AIDrivers?
I managed to develop an adaptive speed controller for diesel trucks using a closed loop control feedback system based on an acceleration model. As a lead of AIRS, I work with multidisciplinary teams in Ai, perception, autonomous drive and sensors, I can respond to requests from autonomous navigation and accurately control the engine and brake to achieve the necessary speeds. However, I think my colleagues would disagree with this and say that it was the whole lot of Chinese teas I brought back from my work trip to China which went down a treat!
What future developments in this field are you excited about?
I am excited to work on new projects which bring new challenges for me to get my teeth into and develop solutions to ensure the seamless progression of our system. Obviously in this industry there is still a lot of research and development and I look forward to seeing the results of that from the passenger seat.
What do you see as the main hurdles for AI enabled autonomous mobility automation?
The maturation of the current AI systems to effectively deal with the ever-changing and often unpredictable environments they work are definite hurdles for the industry. I would also say that from a business perspective creating customer trust is something that all companies in the industry have to work on.
Safety is also one of the my most important areas of work. I work hard on this part of my responsibility and it is core in all areas of the development I work on.
What are the most exciting developments in AI that you see at present?
Ideally the sooner I can get a R2D2 or Javis to help me in my work the better. But for now, what I am excited for is to see how the next stage of quantum computing accelerates AI and how we can utilise that to further solve the challenges of the current automated industry.
What do you see as the future opportunities for AI enabled autonomous mobility automation?
I feel that AI enabled autonomous mobility is the next step in technology much the same as the train was for society. It is a tool to be utilised to accelerate our development into a more sustainable and safer world for connected world. The majority of future industrial mobility will be powered by AI and autonomy and I feel part of the change to make history.
What are the ways you would like to see AI used in the future?
I would like to see AI assist in reducing risk to human life in the working environments and increase the efficiency of systems so that our potential can be fully unlocked. I’m always referring back to the element of safety as it cannot be overstated how important this is. AI can also assist in taking over some of the time-consuming tasks that currently slow the progress of development.
Can you envisage a world with no drivers in any vehicles at all?
Yes and no. I love driving and especially when it is taking me on holiday or through some muddy woods. However, for day to day travel I prefer not to drive as it requires your full. I grew up in a country where public transport is in its infancy. Coming to the UK I loved public transport. In my 40 minutes to work I can spend half of it listening to music or learning a new language and the other half reading the morning work communications so that when I walk into the office I know exactly what has happened and I do not need to waste any time. Your time on this earth is finite. I like to make sure that it is well spent.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
I grew up next to the mountains and beach, so my default pass times and stress reliefs are mountain biking and hiking. I love nature and being able to get away from the city to completely immerse myself into the awe-inspiring places on this earth. This has led me to get my diver’s license so I can now spend more time under water as well as surfing.
When I’m not on holiday or on a bike I like to spend my weeknights playing strategy games, chess or getting down to the local boxing club to keep fit.
What’s the last film you saw and the last book you read?
The last film I watched was ‘Ford vs Ferrari’ which shows again my passion and interest is in mobility!
The last book I read was the ‘Power of Now’ which was an interesting read.
Where did you last go on holiday?
After doing a year of hard work with the team in making an old diesel truck to be driven autonomously and successfully completed so at this project milestone, I rewarded myself to go Vietnam at the start of 2020 to experience the high mountains and bike through the country.
If you could invent one thing what would it be?
A massive magnet with all the cognitives and intelligence to autonomously clean up the rubbish from the rivers and oceans so we can have cleaner safer seas. If not this, then at least the fusion energy power supply for the magnet to give it unlimited clean energy.
