Biometric Steering Wheel that Tells You When You’re too Tired to Drive--and Other Great Inventions

MIDDLESEX, UK -- November 17, 2014: A biometric steering wheel that tells you when you’re too tired to drive, a gaming console-inspired car control system and an app that alerts drivers to the presence of cyclists in the blind spot are the three innovations that have made it through to the final stage of this year’s Autocar-Courland Next Generation Award.

Six semi-finalists presented their original design and engineering concepts to a panel of judges taken from the Award’s sponsors across the UK automotive industry last week.

The three finalists – Nicole Agba, Freddie Lee and Serge Kaldany – will attend the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders’ (SMMT) annual dinner on November 25, when the winner will be crowned.

Designed to give aspiring young innovators a launch pad into the competitive automotive industry, the Award is one of the most prestigious of its kind, with the winner receiving £7,500 plus five months of hands-on work experience, shared between award sponsors Jaguar Land Rover, McLaren Automotive, Peugeot, Skoda and Toyota.

Autocar editor-in-chief Steve Cropley, also the chairman of the judging panel, said: “The great thing about this competition is that it allows young people to think fresh and present their ideas to us. They may all be focused on the same industry but the variety of creative thinking across different automotive fields is brilliant and really inspiring. This is the sixth year of the Award and the initiative has now touched thousands of young lives and resulted directly in several people getting careers in the automotive industry.”

The full list of 2014 semi-finalists reads as follows:

The full list of 2014 semi-finalists reads as follows:

Name	University	Concept Title
Nicole Agba	Coventry University	Steer Right
Luke Harding	Coventry University	Electromagnetic Levitation Hub Assembly
Sarah Behenna	Bristol University	Rear Window Braking Intensity Light
Freddie Lee	Plymouth University	Eye See You
Adam Hyett	Loughborough University	Rear-End Collision Warning System
Serge Kaldany	City of London University	Hands-On Driving Console

Nicole’s ‘Steer Right’ system uses a Smart Fabrics Interactive Textile on the steering wheel of the car, using sensors to monitor the driver’s heart and respiration rates and detecting psychological signals that could indicate fatigue, anger or nervousness. The steering wheel could even detect alcohol in the driver’s system through the wheel, immobilising the vehicle if they are over the limit.

Freddie’s ‘Eye See You’ concept combines a smartphone app for cyclists, which emits a signal on a set wavelength, with a piece of hardware fitted to vehicles that acts like a parking sensor, alerting the driver to the presence of a cyclist nearby.

Meanwhile, Serge’s Hands-On Driving Console aims to remove as many driver distractions as possible by replacing all car controls, including the accelerator and brake pedals, with hand controls based on the steering wheel. The concept is inspired by the steering wheels of gaming consoles and is designed with safety, comfort and futuristic design in mind.

Courland International Chief Operating Officer, Adam Pumfrey, said: “Although we operate at board level for the automotive industry, we saw that it was failing to attract young people; there has been a significant time lag in getting graduates into the business. We are involved because we want to help showcase the opportunities that exist in the industry and promote what a career in automotive can look like.”

Roberto Pace, the winner of the 2012 Award, now works at McLaren Automotive and designed a key steering rack part on the new McLaren P1 hypercar.

Meanwhile, last year’s Autocar-Courland Next Generation Award winner, Jake Larsson, is now studying for a PhD at Cranfield University and said that winning the competition represented his last chance to get an automotive industry career.

He said: “I’d almost accepted that I’d never make it in the industry because I find it difficult to write about myself, apply for jobs and jump through the many hoops you have to go through. This Award has been my foot in the door and I’ve gained contacts with so many talented people as a result.”