In the latest installment of the Tech Leaders’ Intel podcast James Loveridge sits down with Ben Upcroft, VP of Technology at OXA (formerly known as Oxbotica). Given his background as a researcher, it is clear that Ben is unwaveringly passionate about automation and robotics as he infodumps on the ins and outs of the technology, especially with regards to safety.

It follows that OXA’s MetaDriver is a virtual tool that aids a vital step in the safeguarding process, identifying both edge and corner cases in simulated driving scenarios up to thousands of times faster than real-world testing. As Ben explains, MetaDriver was developed for all robotics hardware developers to integrate into their development processes.

Over 40 minutes they discuss:

• Ben’s career trajectory in automation from academia to R&D
• Automated vehicles, from personal automobiles to mass transit to mining machinery
• The necessity of building public trust for automated vehicles to be successful on the market
• Why citing a number of test-driven miles does not necessarily translate to a safe product

And of course, much more. Through MetaDriver, Upcroft and OXA are enabling automated vehicles in all their forms from the personal to the industrial, and are being extremely careful and meticulous in doing so. If you’re a robotics enthusiast, this discussion is not to be missed!