Driverless vehicles: Peers seek views for tech on roads, farms—and space

House of Lords panel to scrutinise government's plans for autonomous cars.

Tom Mendelsohn

Peers sitting on the science and technology committee have begun scrutinising the UK government's ambitious plans for driverless cars and they are seeking views from the public, industry, and other interested parties as part of that inquiry.

The panel will look at the legal parameters and gauge public opinion, but it also wants to consider more esoteric considerations, such as the ethics that might underpin AI systems, and the potential for using autonomous vehicles for the exploration of space. Views on autonomous drones are also welcomed, as are submissions on anything that interested parties feel hasn't been mentioned and needs to be included.

Most of all, however, the peers will focus on driverless road vehicles, and their potential for use in consumer and commercial transport. The committee said:

Cars present an obvious example of where autonomy could be useful, offering potential improvements in safety and freeing up the driver to perform other tasks. There are, however, also questions about how this will work in practice, how autonomous vehicles would interact with conventional road vehicles during a transition to a fully autonomous system and about consumer attitudes and behaviours.

Cars with some level of autonomy are already available and it is predicted that fully autonomous driving could be in widespread use as early as the 2020s. Autonomous vehicles offer opportunities in a wide number of areas other than use on the road. There are potential advantages in removing the need for a driver in situations such as warehousing, deliveries or farming.

Without the need for a driver, the use of new types of vehicle is possible—small aerial vehicles for deliveries or light weight farm vehicles. Autonomous vehicles can also be used to perform tasks in extreme environments, such as the deep sea, space or nuclear power stations.

The government seems increasingly keen on automation of this kind in the UK. Amazon recently struck a deal with lawmakers to perform extensive trials for the use of drones for deliveries in the UK, and is set to help shape future legislation, should it turn out that drone deliveries are feasible.

The Earl of Selbourne, who chairs the House of Lords science and technology committee, agreed that autonomous vehicles "have the potential to bring great benefits across a range of different sectors."

He said: "We will examine what the government is doing to support research into developing autonomous vehicles in the UK, as well as the real-world implications as these vehicles start to appear on the roads and in the workplace. If the UK is to be at the forefront of this transport revolution, investment into research is vital to ensure the technology is perfected, allowing the public to embrace the use of autonomous vehicles.

"There are potentially considerable economic opportunities and public-good benefits from this technology. We will look at whether the government’s actions are appropriate in supporting these opportunities."

The committee is inviting written evidence, which must be received by Wednesday 26 October 2016. Hearings will take place in November. Interested parties can respond here.