Trains are on the fast track to automation because they don't have to be steered. Trucks, not so much.
Maybe Ed Benton can chime in on automating trucks.
Ummm... thank you for pointing out the obvious.
I think.
It's been fun. But it isn't much fun anymore. Signing off for now.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any
And they only have one party to answer to - themselves - they are a mining company that uses it's railroad as a conveyor belt - nothing more and nothing less. Conveyor belt breaks, there is stockpile to work form until it is fixed - just a cog in their machine. Don't see them hauling much orange juice or containers or corn or wheat or automobiles or chemicals or any of 1000's of commodities that are hauled betweeen a multiplicity of origin-destination pairs from a mile to 3000 miles or more apart in the US rail network.
The US railroad network provides transportation value to thousands of companies all over the country; not on the restricted operations of Rio Tinto that have minimal time value in what is being hauled.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Google already has a self-driving car, although it requires 2 attendants. The only accident recorded was when the human was driving.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/googles-self-driving-car-is-this-the-next-generation-of-autos/2012/05/09/gIQAteiMDU_story.html
zugmann Forget trains - let's automate the trucks.
Forget trains - let's automate the trucks.
"We have met the enemy and he is us." Pogo Possum "We have met the anemone... and he is Russ." Bucky Katt "Prediction is very difficult, especially if it's about the future." Niels Bohr, Nobel laureate in physics
Yes, in a couple years, we will all be riding around, strapped into the backseat of our cars, and swiping a credit card as we go.
Bucyrus Yes, in a couple years, we will all be riding around, strapped into the backseat of our cars, and swiping a credit card as we go.
If Americans were that willing and eager to give up driving, then we would have a heck of a lot more buses and trains and fewer suburbs, highways and car ads.
I didn't mean to make it sound like we will have a choice.
Bucyrus I didn't mean to make it sound like we will have a choice.
Yeah, right. Forcing people away from their cars would be political suicide for anyone. 3rd rail issue.
Only if the people notice, and I don't see that happening any time soon.
Bucyrus Only if the people notice, and I don't see that happening any time soon.
I think people will notice not being able to drive.
Oh, I think people will be clamoring for the automatic driving. Look how they went for automatic transmissions.
Automatic driving will be like your own little personal train. Just tell it where you want to go and pay the fare.
Bucyrus Oh, I think people will be clamoring for the automatic driving. Look how they went for automatic transmissions. Automatic driving will be like your own little personal train. Just tell it where you want to go and pay the fare.
But look at how many automatics now feature manual shift modes.
I must be really in the box..I still have manual shift here.....
Any argument carried far enough will end up in Semantics--Hartz's law of rhetoric Emerald. Leemer and Southern The route of the Sceptre Express Barry
I just started my blog site...more stuff to come...
http://modeltrainswithmusic.blogspot.ca/
blownout cylinder I must be really in the box..I still have manual shift here.....
I wish I could get a full sized truck with manual.... but they are extinct.
A truck post. Oh geez...... did I just do that?
zugmannBut look at how many automatics now feature manual shift modes.
Well maybe that wasn't the best analogy. But people have been dreaming about automatic cars for at least fifty years. Remember when they were going to embed cables in the roadway to automatically steer cars. And then we were all going to be flying in tiny airplanes instead of driving cars. We got that idea from the Jetsons.
It took some bold thinking to believe we could automate vehicles that had to be steered. Now it is here, and we don't even need cables in the roadway. Mining trucks are being automated. I expect dozers and other excavating equipment to be automated. Thirty years ago operators used to lose their hearing running that equipment.
Big difference between a vehicle for work and a commuter/personal vehicle.
People are pretty attached to driving their own cars. I think it will be a cold day in hell before we see too many automatic personal vehicles.
Maybe so. They were going to have us all riding Segway scooters, but that didn't work out.
Wake me when they perfect that teleportation thing.
"He's inside out. And he exploded."
Ahhh,
You too have seen the Historical Documentaries....
All we need now is the huge crushy choppy thing!
23 17 46 11
Bucyrus ... And then we were all going to be flying in tiny airplanes instead of driving cars. We got that idea from the Jetsons.
... And then we were all going to be flying in tiny airplanes instead of driving cars. We got that idea from the Jetsons.
HA! The Jetsons are "Johnny come latelys"!
You don't remember "Sky King" flying about his Texas ranch in the 'Song bird'...
or "Rocket Man" and his jet backpack...
or "Captain Midnight" with his personal Bell X2...
or ... Ming Quan using kites for transport...
Jetsons!?!?!?! Ha! Blatant plagerism!
Semper Vaporo
Pkgs.
Bucyrus zugmann: But look at how many automatics now feature manual shift modes. Well maybe that wasn't the best analogy. But people have been dreaming about automatic cars for at least fifty years. Remember when they were going to embed cables in the roadway to automatically steer cars. And then we were all going to be flying in tiny airplanes instead of driving cars. We got that idea from the Jetsons. It took some bold thinking to believe we could automate vehicles that had to be steered. Now it is here, and we don't even need cables in the roadway. Mining trucks are being automated. I expect dozers and other excavating equipment to be automated. Thirty years ago operators used to lose their hearing running that equipment.
zugmann: But look at how many automatics now feature manual shift modes.
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
edblysard Ahhh, You too have seen the Historical Documentaries.... All we need now is the huge crushy choppy thing!
zugmann blownout cylinder: I must be really in the box..I still have manual shift here..... I wish I could get a full sized truck with manual.... but they are extinct. A truck post. Oh geez...... did I just do that?
blownout cylinder: I must be really in the box..I still have manual shift here.....
Hey,
Dodge was planning to bring back the Power Wagon, with an 8 speed manual coupled to the 7.2 L turbo diesel...you could pull a lot of stuff that!
Hey again, did Zug just do a "truck" post?
My idea of easy shifting....
watch?v=2zx54zjDU4s
I think it is North American's love affair with instant gratification that has worked against public transportation and in favor of personal vehicles, ie we want to go wherever we want, whenever we want at a moments notice with the absolute least hassle possible. Granted, some of us will never get tired of piloting our personal rides, but I think that a lot of folks would just love to have their self-driving cars take them wherever they want to go at a moments notice while they sit back and do whatever they want on the trip! Long live convenience!
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