What is MFM?
Midlands Future Mobility is installing infrastructure on 200+ miles of West Midland’s roads to enable trials of Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) solutions. This includes CCTV, weather stations, communications units, and highly accurate GPS coverage. The technology developed on the route will make UK roads safer and allow for more predictable goods delivery and journey times.
The West Midlands has always had a strong automotive industry. In the 1970s the region accounted for 60% of all UK car production and in 2019 there were still 1,100 automotive businesses in the region, contributing £3.2bn to the regional economy and employing 46,000 staff.
However, times are changing and to remain competitive in this market we need to look to the future and create the next generation of mobility technology. The autonomous vehicle industry is one of these technologies and is estimated to be worth up to £62bn to the UK economy by 2030.
The first types of vehicle to be trialled along the Midlands Future Mobility route will be “connected” vehicles. Connected vehicles can communicate with infrastructure and other vehicles to warn of traffic, incidents and other hazards that other connected vehicles may have seen or be heading towards. The vehicles will have a human driver and, depending on the nature of the trial, a second person monitoring the progress of the trial within the vehicle. All trialling will be as safe if not safer than current journeys made on the roads today.
In future, autonomous vehicles will be trialled on the MFM route, with all trialling to be underpinned by a robust safety case in line with the UK Government Code of Practice. This will include close monitoring of the vehicle by safety operators, ready to take over immediately in the event that intervention is required. These autonomous vehicles will appear gradually as more and more advanced “Driver Assistance” systems are trialled, such as lane centring and auto-speed limiting technology.
Can I get involved in studies?
Public acceptance, perception and support of Connected and Automated Mobility is a vital part of the mobility revolution. As such we are building a database of interested members of the public who would like to take part in trials. Please contact us for more information and to get involved.
