The winning designs focused on alleviating a variety of challenges posed by traditional trucks, including visibility of other road users from the cab. Concepts developed by the entrants ranged from rotating seats and all-round glass cabins to replacing the driver with an automated system.
The student designers also looked at ways of informing drivers of their situation without overwhelming them with data, such as computerised cyclist tracking that delivers tactile feedback through the steering wheel, and a communication system that uses the driver’s own satnav to provide advance warning of manoeuvres to following motorists.
“Our first Future Truck Design Awards has been an incredible success,” said Ian Wainwright, head of TfL’s Freight and Fleet team. “We‘ve been overwhelmed by the quality, originality and innovation of the entries. I would like to thank all the entrants for their hard work, commitment and contribution to the safety debate.”
Winning entries will be exhibited at the Transport Museum in Covent Garden, London this summer.
The winners in full:
16-18 years
Whole Vehicle Design - One Engineering, Suffolk One
Undergraduate
Whole Vehicle Design - Ruari Kirwan-Taylor
System of Operation - James Ayre
Postgraduate
Whole Vehicle Design - Po Yuan Huang and Ting Tian Li
Safety Feature Innovation - Sam Philpott and Kalle Keituri
