The concept of Autonomous Vehicles (AV) and driverless cars is a consistent trending topic that has grown over the past decade. With the advancement in available technology, the concept of AV’s and the road to implementation is accelerating faster than the society and regulations of which is required to introduce it. This immediately becomes a challenge for engineers as several industries struggle to implement the technology in such a complex environment. Over saturation of information is also a noted issue, namely found in science fiction and media which further dilutes the effort and mission.
Some challenges faced ahead involve conformance of standards and regulations mandated by government for the safety and acceptance of the
technology. Systems Integration becomes a key factor in this challenge, as a successful implementation of the technology is subject to several factors,
akin to some of the greatest technological challenges in the past. Some of these issues are best addressed by multiple perspectives, such as government, industry and academia. Thus, the aim of this event (and networking) session is to provide different perspectives of the topic from systems-of-systems view, considering government and policy, industry/suppliers and as well as research and advisory. The intent is to give audiences an opportunity to understand the type of career paths that engineers can take, ranging from becoming policy makers to technical system designers or integrators.

Speaker: John Wall

Program Manager, Future Vehicles and Technology | Austroads

John Wall is recognised as one of Australia’s leading specialists in the application of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) for road safety. He has over 25 years of experience in the development of road safety strategies and countermeasures and holds tertiary qualifications in agricultural science, education and public health.

John is currently the Program Manager for Future Vehicles and Technology with Austroads, the peak organisation of Australasian road transport and traffic agencies. The program was established in July 2019 and builds on the work previously conducted by Austroads through its Connected and Automated Vehicle Program.  The program works across several themes including connected and automated mobility, physical and digital infrastructure and agency capability.

His new team’s vision is that “All employees of our members have an understanding of how connected, automated and electric vehicles can be used to improve the capacity of their organisation to deliver services that improve the lives of the communities they serve”.

In June 2020, Austroads released their landmark report forecasting the capabilities of a Future Vehicle in the year 2030.  The report is being used by Austroads to develop products and services that transport agencies can use to support the operation of automated, connected and low emission vehicles into the future.

John is looking forward to discussing his thoughts around future vehicles and how they can be leveraged to provide a safer, more efficient, sustainable and equitable road transport system.

Speaker: Greg Giraud

Managing Director | EasyMile Australia & NZ

Greg Giraud is EasyMile’s Managing Director for Australia and New Zealand. EasyMile is a pioneer in autonomous vehicle technology and smart mobility solutions. Greg is a highly experienced and well-regarded business leader with strong expertise in mobility and urban transport. A former General Manager for Hertz APAC’s Car Share Operations, Greg has been involved as a new mobility subject matter expert in various global strategic business reviews and projects all across Australia. He has captured a wealth of experience in government relations, having worked extensively with local government areas and influenced outcomes of car sharing policies and regulations. Greg is now leading EasyMile’s efforts to bring the ANZ region on board the driverless revolution and write a page of autonomous vehicle history. Greg is proud to have never owned a car and intends to keep it that way.

Greg will explore EasyMile’s journey as a leading autonomous vehicle solutions provider with a focus on AI and deep learning from a safety perspective.

Speaker: Miranda Blogg

Director | Cooperative and Automated Vehicle Initiative (CAVI)

Dr Miranda Blogg is the Director of the Cooperative and Automated Vehicle Initiative at the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads.  Miranda has worked for the department for the last 5 years, and prior to, she was a consultant working both in Australia and the United States.  Miranda is a registered civil engineer with a PhD in traffic engineering who has specialised in traffic engineering, transport planning and research for over 20 years.

Miranda will present on the initiative, with a focus on vehicle connectivity and information security.

Speaker: Jon Sciortino

Senior Systems Engineer | Nova Systems

Jon Sciortino is an autonomous operations expert with almost 3 decades experience in the delivery and assessment of high-level capability assurance, risk management, requirements planning, system safety and test and evaluation expertise. Jon works internationally within both commercial and Defence sectors to assist clients deal with complex projects that solve the technologically challenging problems that really matter.

Highly sought after by organisations wanting to access his expertise and insight, Jon is often engaged to lead teams through the introduction of autonomous operations, systems engineering, integration and requirements management, program analysis, harnessing innovation opportunities and the development of comprehensive test and evaluation methodologies across the business.

Amongst a host of academic achievements, Jon holds degree qualifications in electrical engineering and business administration, is a Member of Engineers Australia and lives in Perth, Western Australia.

Jon will present on lessons learned from mining vehicle autonomy, how systems engineering matters, cross-sector collaboration, and safety, certification and governance.

Host: Rita Excell

Executive Director | Australia and New Zealand Driverless Vehicle Initiative (ADVI)

Rita is the Executive Director of the Australia and New Zealand Driverless Vehicle Initiative (ADVI) Centre of Excellence and is responsible for delivering ADVI’s contribution to the safe and successful introduction of driverless vehicle technologies into Australia.

Her prior roles include Regional Manager of Australian Road Research Board’s South Australian office. Rita managed key strategic policy projects for State Road Authorities and organisations that manage public and private road infrastructure.

Rita is a qualified Civil Engineer with over 20 years’ experience, which has included roles in Local Government and more than 13 years with RAA – where she worked on strategic transport planning, road safety and advocacy. She is currently the Vice President of the IPWEA Australasia board, where she also chairs the Audit and Risk Committee. Currently, Rita is the Transport Expert for the Port Adelaide Enfield Council Assessment Panel, as well as a member of the New South Wales and South Australian Connected and Automated Vehicle Industry Reference Groups.