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IN TOUCH 鈥� Trial of Driverless Vehicles

TX:听 19.03.2019听 2040-2100

PRESENTER:听 听听听听听听听听 PETER WHITE

PRODUCER:听 听听听听听听听听听听 LEE KUMUTAT

听

Street noises

听

White

Now, I鈥檓 probably in trouble because I鈥檓 approaching Roy鈥檚 house and I鈥檓 late and I think he might be a bit of a stickler for timing, which when you鈥檙e nearly 100 you鈥檝e probably got every right to be.听

听

Door bell

听

Producer

He鈥檚 got a sign on the door that says 鈥渞ing bell, please wait, slow mover鈥�.

听

White

[Laughter] Ah.

听

Symons

Is this Peter?

听

White

Roy!听

听

Symons

Do come in.

听

White

How are you?

听

Symons

Oh, on the table there is something for you.

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White

Really?听 What鈥檚 that Roy?

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Symons

It鈥檚 called the Eye Test and I wrote that many years ago, it鈥檚 a poem, the Eye Test, but that鈥檚 a copy and it鈥檚 in all sorts of places and I know that it鈥檚 reached America.

听

White

Has it?听 You said you had something for me but that鈥檚 all wrong because it鈥檚 your birthday coming up, so, I鈥檝e got a present for you.

听

Symons

Oh.

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White

This is an early 100th birthday present.听 So, if you put your hands out, I bet you know what that is.

听

Symons

Oooh and I鈥檝e got a feeling you couldn鈥檛 have a chosen anything better.听 I should explain.听 The only sight I鈥檝e now got, left eye completely dead, right eye down to about 2%.听 Le Frog, it鈥檚 my favourite.

听

White

Well no, I think you told us you like whisky but my favourite is what you call Le Frog as well, so I took a chance.听 Very happy birthday when it comes along.

听

Symons

Thank you very much.

听

How I found out my sight was going I was driving down the motorway and found that I was drifting to one side.听 I had been to the optician the previous week and I went back and I said 鈥� I think there鈥檚 something with the glasses which I then wore.听 He looked at me, he said 鈥� I want you to go to hospital right away.听 And I was certified blind right away.

听

White

What was the condition Roy?

听

Symons

Wet macular.

听

Kumutat

Yes, Roy Symons has Age Related Wet Macular Degeneration which affects around 70,000 people in the UK.听 We鈥檒l hear more from Roy on how he structures his life in order to manage cooking for himself and living by himself as he approaches his 100th birthday on Friday.

听

But now to our other roving reporter this week.听 Lucy Edwards went to the Blind Veterans UK centre at Ovingdean near Brighton where a trial of self-driving vehicles or pods, as these are being called, is taking place over the next six months.听

听

Like Roy Symons, 89-year-old Annie seems up for the challenge.

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Edwards

Annie, how do you feel about going in the pod today?

听

Annie

I鈥檓 looking forward to it with great trepidation.听 I was so sad that was 鈥� other than seeing to read and sew and knit and that 鈥� driving my car was the biggest blow, I couldn鈥檛 drive, I couldn鈥檛 jump in it and go where I wanted and come back when I wanted.听 I鈥檓 looking forward to this.听 I know it鈥檚 too late for me but I鈥檓 looking forward to the trial.

听

Woolet

My name鈥檚 Dave Woolet, I鈥檓 an ex-veteran.听 I was with the Royal Engineers.听 And so, I鈥檝e got a guide dog Jasper.听

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Edwards

Do you feel as if you lost your independence when you couldn鈥檛 drive?

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Woolet

Yeah, you do, you lose 鈥� it鈥檚 a big kick to yourself, knowing that I鈥檝e always been independent, you鈥檙e [indistinct words], but you always drive around, I鈥檝e had motorbikes, I鈥檝e had cars, I鈥檝e driven lorries and all sorts.听 So, yes, it affects you to stop, it really does because you do lose your independence.

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Edwards

In terms of mobility, how do you think these pods would improve your life?

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Woolet

It鈥檚 a scary notion, it鈥檚 a scary thing to think about, knowing you鈥檙e not in control.听 I think because I can get about quite fully, I know me own buses, I know me own trains but how these pods are, whether they鈥檙e remote controlled or whether there鈥檚 no driver there, I don鈥檛 know until I get in it how I鈥檓 going to feel, what鈥檚 the safety like 鈥� can it go wrong, will it cause an accident, is it that safe that it will work?听 I鈥檓 sure that loads more tests on it will make it work.

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Edwards

The centre in Brighton is a hub of activity that specialises in rehabilitating blind ex-servicemen and women.听 It鈥檚 a huge building with 85 bedrooms with an onsite swimming pool and gym.听 Starting at the main entrance the pod travels along the driveway, having to negotiate oncoming vehicles and traffic.听 A trip around the grounds takes 15 minutes.

听

Gomez

I am Renata Gomez and I鈥檓 the head of reception and innovation of Blind Veterans UK.

听

The centre is very interesting to develop this technology because there鈥檚 a very dynamic and busy area.听 So, where we have normal cars, we鈥檝e got deliveries, we鈥檝e got ambulances coming in and out, but we also have a very special population here, we have the blind veterans.

听

Edwards

Aurrigo, the company making these pods, have been developing them for five years.听 People may be aware that similar ones are being used in Milton Keynes to ferry shoppers to and from the city centre.听 And although this trial is the first with visually impaired people they are still not allowed to drive in the pod by themselves.

听

Fairchild

I鈥檓 Richard Fairchild and I鈥檓 operations director for Aurrigo.听 So, currently we have a safety driver inside the pod and that鈥檚 really about ensuring that the pod is safe for you as a passenger and also for the rest of the people in the environment that the pod鈥檚 operating in.听 However, this was really a carry-over from government policy about how to test autonomous vehicles.听 But there was recently a revision of this policy about testing autonomous in public spaces and the requirement to have a safety driver in the vehicle is no longer present.听 And so, what we鈥檙e working in is moving that safety driver into a remote position.听 So, the idea is that the one safety driver could then look after several vehicles remotely and of course what that does is it changes the economics, which means that you can run more vehicles.听 And so, at that point in time, it will very much be you can go to the pod, get in the pod and it will take you to where you want to go.听 But to assist you in enabling the pod to tell it where to go, is really quite a challenge.听 So, for example, we鈥檙e doing a lot of work with natural language processing, you get in, there鈥檚 nobody else in there, you ask it 鈥� tell it where you want to go 鈥� it takes you there, you get out and then eventually you鈥檒l forget that you鈥檙e in an autonomous pod, it鈥檒l just be 鈥� oh I just need to go and get some lunch.听

听

I guess the main difference about our pods is that we鈥檝e never targeted it as on-road vehicle.听 So, currently we鈥檙e limiting the top speed to about 15 miles an hour, so we鈥檙e not on public roads.听 It鈥檚 trials like this, at Blind Veterans, that mean that people get to use a pod on a daily basis and they start to see that actually, do you know what, this isn鈥檛 scary technology, this is just another form of transport, just like a bus, and I suspect that as we go forward in time you鈥檒l see that our vehicles will become more prevalent before you get on highway vehicles.听 So, really, I think that this sector, this first and last mile off highway sector will come first.

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Kumutat

There鈥檒l be many people listening to this relieved to hear they鈥檒l be off the roads for quite some time yet.听 But how are Roy Symons and Peter White getting on?

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White

Roy, the reason that we鈥檝e come to see you is partly to wish you happy birthday and also, I mean what we鈥檙e told is that you actually live still very independently, you do a lot of things for yourself.

听

Symons

In 2000 I regretfully had to put my wife into a home because of Alzheimer鈥檚 and I had to learn and teach myself to cook.听 So, I鈥檝e taught myself how to cook and I鈥檝e been cooking ever since.听 I make up some of my own menus, I eat a lot of fish but I do go out twice a week, once on a Wednesday, I go shopping into an extremely good Waitrose nearby, I just ring them up before I go and I say it鈥檚 Roy, okay Roy we鈥檒l have somebody to take you round.听 Which is very nice.听 And then I go to one of three or four restaurants where they know me very well and I have my own table in each restaurant.听 My tot of whisky appears and a drop of wine and they read out the menu for me.听 I鈥檓 well known there.

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White

So, you鈥檙e probably quite a well-known figure generally around here are you?

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Symons

Yes, I suppose locally here I鈥檓 known as Roy up and down the road.听 I can鈥檛 get out and walk down the road at all now, I have to have somebody take my arm when I go and I have a stick, just a white walking stick.听

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White

But you obviously value your independence?

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Symons

I do very much indeed, I鈥檓 very independent.听 On Sundays I do a roast, which can be anything from a bit of roast lamb, pork, beef or even duck.听 That, at the moment, has taken me a very long time and I鈥檝e been trying to find a volunteer to help me on a Sunday.

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White

I tell you what I鈥檇 like to do Roy, it would be nice to just show us how you鈥檝e got your kitchen organised.

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Symons

Yeah.

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White

Could we do that?

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Symons

The kitchen鈥檚 round on the left.

听

Now we鈥檒l start here.听 Peter?

听

White

Yes, I鈥檓 over here.

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Symons

Now don鈥檛 press anything.

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White

I won鈥檛.

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Symons

Just feel your way round to here.

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White

Yeah, yeah, so this is your microwave.

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Symons

I鈥檓 going to give it 30 seconds.听 I鈥檒l look inside, yes, I can just see a light in the side.听 When I cook in the microwave I start off on Monday morning, I have tomatoes and bacon, cut the tomatoes up and the bacon;听 Tuesday 鈥� oh yes I have a poached egg on Tuesday, in the microwave.听 Wednesday鈥檚 I鈥檓 out, as I鈥檝e already told you.听 Thursdays I go to Rotary.听 We鈥檒l come back to Friday 鈥� tomatoes again.听 And then Saturday is a scrambled day on toast, here, that鈥檚 my fridge and in there I鈥檝e got a tray down the bottom, plenty of fresh greens in there.

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White

Have you got chocolate in your fridge Roy?

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Symons

Yes, that鈥檚 for the kids that come.听 I鈥檝e got eight 鈥� eight great grandchildren.

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White

Do you do desserts as well for people, do you do puddings?

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Symons

Oh yes.听 Very important puddings.

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White

But can I just ask you 鈥� there鈥檚 a lot of work in a roast dinner Roy.

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Symons

I鈥檝e worked out on Sunday that I start my lunch about half past 10 and I didn鈥檛 finish till nearly 3 o鈥檆lock, by the time I get it all going and that, yes.

听

White

Is this just cooking for you or do you have people round?

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Symons

No, I never have鈥�

听

White

No?

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Symons

鈥�never have anybody in to cook for, no.

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White

But it鈥檚 a lot 鈥� so you go to a lot of trouble, don鈥檛 you, to do that properly on a Sunday.

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Symons

Yes.

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White

But it sounds to me as if you still want to go on doing these things for yourself.

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Symons

I do.听 I鈥檓 determined.

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Kumutat

I could do with being as organised as Roy myself.听 Meanwhile Lucy Edwards is about to go for her first spin in a self-driving pod.

听

Edwards

I鈥檓 here just outside the pod at Blind Veterans UK centre in Ovingdean Brighton and the coast is really windy today and we鈥檙e about to go and jump in some self-driving pods.

听

The pod that will be transporting the blind veterans around their centre has been called Arthur, named after the founder of Blind Veterans UK, Sir Arthur Pearson.听 The pod is two metres tall and seats four people.

听

The sound that you can hear is the sound that the pod makes at its top speed of 15 miles per hour.听 This is to alert pedestrians that it鈥檚 nearby.听

听

Miles Garner, sales and marketing director for Aurrigo, showed me how to climb aboard.

听

Miles, could you talk us through the visuals of how to open the pod and what it looks like?

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Garner

Yeah, it鈥檚 a really, really easy operation.听 There鈥檚 a button on the front which we just have to press and that opens up the door.听 And then after the door is open, we can then access inside the pod.

听

Edwards

So, as I鈥檓 getting in it鈥檚 quite a big space.听 How do you first input the location, so the pod knows where you want to go?

听

Garner

We are working on an app that will allow you to book a ride.听 We are like a way off from commercially sort of offering that to anyone to operate.听 As actually part of the trial we are just limiting the route to round about up to four routes around the campus.

听

Edwards

And how is it accessible inside for VI passengers?

听

Garner

Inside the pod at the moment there鈥檚 light colours on all the rails, and all the rails are yellow, all the edge, also like the seats are yellow as well.听 There鈥檚 lighting inside in the roof and lighting also on the corners as well.

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Edwards

Why is there not more audible signals for them to plug in their destination inside the pod?

听

Garner

The whole reason why we鈥檙e actually doing this as a trial and it hasn鈥檛 really actually started is to actually get that type of feedback.听 So, we鈥檝e been working over the past couple of months with actually Guide Dogs, that鈥檚 the reason why there鈥檚 lots and lots of light inside, lots and lots of yellow in areas, so that was information actually feed into us.

听

Edwards

I felt that the pod was quite comfortable and there was definitely enough room for my guide dog to sit at my feet.听 However, I do feel there needs to be audible announcements inside the vehicle and that is the biggest drawback for me.听 But I really wanted to know what the residents thought.

听

Threadgold

My name鈥檚 Mark Threadgold, I鈥檓 51 and I鈥檓 totally blind, I have severed optic nerves.听 I did 17 years in the Army, in the Royal Signals, I was an electronics engineer, radio tech.听

听

Edwards

Did you used to drive when you had your vision?

听

Threadgold

Driving was a big thing for me, it鈥檚 the thing I miss the most.听 I used to have a little sports car that I raced, I was a HGV driver and a motorcyclist as well.听 So, driving I鈥檝e missed enormously.

听

Edwards

And have you been in the pod today?

听

Threadgold

I was the first one in the pod this morning, they tell me, so that鈥檚 quite a privilege isn鈥檛 it?

听

Edwards

Lovely.听 And how did you find it?

听

Threadgold

It was interesting, very quiet being electric and a bit disconcerting because the two seats are facing each other.听 So, you haven鈥檛 got a front and back, so to speak.听 Getting in that was fantastic because as an electronics engineer by trade and I was a bit of a classic car fan as well, well there you go, both things are in that aren鈥檛 they.听 I think it鈥檒l be great for independence.听 The day one of us could, totally blind, jump in a car and get dropped off at the place you actually want to be at instead of having to learn the route from a bus stop, yeah fantastic.

听

Edwards

Do you have any things that you think that they can improve on in the pod?

听

Threadgold

Speaking to the guys about the design they鈥檙e trying to look at inclusive design right from the start and the way they described it was 鈥� if you can make it work for the most difficult person, for want of a better word, then it鈥檒l work for everybody else.听 So, for me, I鈥檓 looking at things like audio tags to tell you where you are, what you鈥檙e passing.听 How long it鈥檚 going to be till you get there.听 The feedback, when you鈥檙e totally blind, is hugely important.

听

Edwards

Were you satisfied today that you got that?

听

Threadgold

Yeah, we just went down the hill, to the bottom, it鈥檚 not a talking pod just yet but I鈥檓 sure it鈥檚 going to be at some point.听 Yeah, good experience.

听

Edwards

I think the pods have a long way to go as they鈥檙e still only at their trial period at the moment but I think, as a blind woman, eventually in the future I will jump in one of these and hopefully get to my destination completely independently.

听

Kumutat

While some of us might be looking forward to the day we can hit the open road, Roy Symons has a party to prepare for.听 And it鈥檚 put him in reflective mood.

听

Symons

I鈥檓 afraid I counted up 70, 80, 90 people that are no longer with me, there鈥檚 only one person that鈥檚 been in my life, she鈥檚 91 and she鈥檚 the widow of one of my good friends.听

听

White

You have set them rather a tough target, haven鈥檛 you, by living to 99 and almost 100?

听

Symons

Yes.听 We鈥檙e going to have a big party 鈥� family party only.

听

White

I think we can鈥檛 go, Roy, without toasting your birthday, that鈥檚 why I brought you our present from In Touch, so shall we 鈥� are you going to do the honours?

听

Opening and pouring drinks

听

It鈥檚 one of the best sounds in the world.

听

Symons

We鈥檒l chink the glasses.

听

White

Well Roy, many, many, many happy returns.

听

Symons

Thank you very much indeed.听 Thank you for coming.听 I鈥檓 amazed, as people say they鈥檙e amazed with me and that but I鈥檓 amazed with myself sometimes.听 But there you are.听 Well cheers.

听

White

It鈥檚 delightful to have met you and to see how well organised you are.听 Cheers Roy.

听

Ooh that goes down well doesn鈥檛 it.

听

Symons

I鈥檝e got to sip that, yeah.