Richard has a background in architecture and industry experience in satellite and mobile communications technologies. Richard is currently undertaking a PhD at Lancaster University and is an Associate Lecturer at Manchester School of Architecture tutoring on both the BA and MArch courses. Richard is interested in new digital technologies and the potential transformative nature that these developments may have on our cities and their users.   

Richard’s PhD focuses on driverless cars and the potential ethical issues which surround autonomous decision making. Richard’s work focuses on how autonomous technologies will manage everyday decisions, some of which currently bend rules (e.g. minor misdemeanors such as using the pavement) and impact human behaviours (such as eating lunch in a vehicle). These human decisions and actions, are a vital part of how users and networks currently operate. To investigate this, Richard is entering into discussions with vehicle user groups to understand how working practices, behaviours and city infrastructures may evolve as a result of these emergent technologies.  Richard’s work aims to understand, where and how these new technologies may flourish or meet resistance, both in our cities and communities. This work aims to help inform key stakeholders, about the future role of the driver in an age of autonomous vehicles through visualising data driven scenarios.