There, an appreciative audience found much to ponder upon as Dr. Geoff McGrath of McLaren Applied Technology (MAT) spoke on “Data-Driven Design Delivers Fast-Track
Innovation”: A fast-paced and stimulating view of how they have worked with a number of organisations to solve problems using their focused analysis of data.
We all know that McLaren are a high-performance/F1 motor company, even if we didn’t know that they provide the data telemetry for all the Formula1 teams. Yet who knew that MAT get involved in so many exciting and diverse areas, many close to our hearts and experiences? In each case, MAT’s driving ethos is to share the ambition to win with like-minded visionaries.
Geoff covered three areas: Products, Processes and Human Performance, giving clear examples throughout and sharing useful insights into how to get the most from the data that we can collect and process today.
From the design improvements for Specialised cycles, I learnt that one size doesn’t fit all and how crucial it is to understand the question that we want to answer - it's often not what we originally thought.
It seems that MAT played a key part in Team GB’s Olympic successes, especially in the adaptive enhancements to Lizzy Yarnold’s skeleton tray. Just a shame that they will not be assisting us in Rio! Another idea: Can we have shoes or boots that adapt intelligently as the wearer tires or the surface changes?
From the data and the models we can predict how an air traffic controller or an oil /gas driller could do better. Rather than replacing humans (just yet), MAT's approach is to provide "second screen" guidance; less confrontational and more acceptable to the operators.
On to human performance and think of the advantages of guiding a human to be at peak condition for a match or a key sales meeting... How many days after a transatlantic flight is best? By collecting the right data and looking for patterns, it is now feasible to personalise the optimisation.
At my own company, GSK, MAT have monitored how and when patients use their Asthma inhalers: surprisingly it's often sub optimal or wrong! Now the challenge is to improve it.
Geoff mentioned that he'd attracted press attention in Singapore over the collaborative work on ALS, at the time of all the ice bucket challenges... Well, we should have given him a nasty shock to finish off with!
A real take away is: don't get data for data's sake; it must have meaning and provide insight. With data and accurate modelling, we get to a point where the further back we look, the further forward we can see.
Not surprisingly, Geoff only spoke from his personal experience at MAT. Now that he has piqued our interest and stimulated our brain cells, it’s up to us to explore the field further and to wonder how others are exploiting such data.
David Tabor, Vice-Chairman London Central Events Committee, Institution of Engineering Technology (IET)
Have a look at another blog from an impressed attendee. Laura has told it better than I ever could!
http://proofcommunication.com/data-driven-design/3447