Voice-activated artificial intelligence “Sayer” steering wheel will appear in the Jaguar “FUTURE-TYPE” concept and at the first annual Jaguar Land Rover Tech Fest.
Malcolm Sayer was an important part of Jaguar’s past. He was the industrial designer worked for the automaker between 1951 and 1970. In that time, he designed such automotive icons as the E-Type and XJS. Now his name is being used for a device that serves as Jaguar Land Rover’s vision of the future.
“Sayer” is a voice-activated steering wheel with artificial intelligence that shows what JLR thinks mobility will look like decades from now when on-demand sharing of autonomous, connected, and electric cars will be more common. According to JLR, “Sayer could signal your membership of our on-demand service club. A club which offers either sole ownership or the option of sharing the car with others in your community.”
In fact, it could be the only part of a vehicle some people own. Sayer could determine when a driver needs to get up to make it to an appointment on time, when an autonomous car needs to pull up at their door, and even recommend which parts of the trip the person would enjoy driving themselves.
Jaguar will incorporate the Sayer steering wheel into its upcoming FUTURE-TYPE concept, an automotive exploration of mobility in 2040 and beyond. It will also be on display at the first annual Jaguar Land Rover Tech Fest at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London. The media preview day, which will include a keynote speech by Jaguar Land Rover CEO Dr. Ralf Speth and panel debates on popular automotive industry topics, will be broadcast across JLR’s various social media channels on September 7. Tech Fest will be open to the public starting Friday, September 8; it runs until Sunday, September 10. Admission is free.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
