New Scientist to examine future automotive tech

New Scientist magazine will this week host a free online webinar in which a panel of Australian scientists and engineers will examine a range of key future automotive technologies including artificial intelligence and robotics, future transport and renewable power, data mining and data privacy.

Dubbed ‘Exploring the Future: technologies that will change our lives by 2030’, the one-hour global webinar will discuss how these emerging technologies will shape the way we live, work and play over the next decade.

Some of the questions it will attempt to answer include: do we clearly understand the potential of artificial intelligence, how will robots change the nature of work and society more broadly, can we exploit personal information and keep it private at the same time, and are we doing enough to make energy renewable?

Among the four expert speakers will be Toyota Australia engineer and manager of advanced technical vehicles Matt MacLeod (pictured), who leads the Japanese car-maker’s local hydrogen fuel cell activities.

Toyota says hydrogen offers significant potential as an alternative source of automotive energy since hydrogen fuel cells can generate electricity to power cars, buses, trucks, trains and forklifts yet their only by-product is water vapour.

"Hydrogen has the potential to truly be a game-changer for our economy and society as a whole, through fuel cells for mobility and power and as a method of energy storage,” said MacLeod.

“There are still plenty of challenges, especially in terms of refuelling infrastructure, but Toyota sees a future where battery and fuel cell powered electric vehicles are sold as complementary technologies.”

Other speakers will include Salah Sukkarieh, professor of robotics and intelligent systems at University of Sydney, machine learning engineer at Data61, Lachlan McCalman, and director of engineering and technology at BAE Systems Australia, Brad Yelland.

The New Scientist webinar, which will be chaired by the publication's Australasian reporter Alice Klein, starts at 7:30pm AEST this Thursday (August 23) and you can register to watch here.