Miguels244
Diamond
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2011
- Location
- Denver, CO USA
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Autonomous B double E double R RUN
- Thread starter Miguels244
- Start date
- Replies 11
- Views 2,544
Miguels244
Diamond
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2011
- Location
- Denver, CO USA
Rats, I missed the window to edit the title...go ahead and flush this thread, I'll start one with a better title.
Miguels244
Diamond
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2011
- Location
- Denver, CO USA
TDegenhart
Diamond
- Joined
- Mar 26, 2011
- Location
- Geneva Illinois USA
Excuse me, but how does that stupidity relate to this forum? At least with chit chat which is banned there is some intelligence. But this?
Tom
Tom
JNieman
Titanium
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2011
- Location
- Greater St Louis Area
We've been having several discussions about autonomous machinery and commercial trucking has been brought up several times.
This type of technology is -very- relevant to modern manufacturing and many people are watching it closely.
I saw this article yesterday and was going to bring it up here but forgot. I think it's pretty interesting, for sure.
Having more human safe autonomous machines has boundless applications.
dkmc
Diamond
- Joined
- Jan 13, 2002
I had no idea nylons could get twisted up that tight......
Your free to skip over anything that "upsets" you here.
PlasmaOnTheBrain
Cast Iron
- Joined
- Oct 22, 2012
- Location
- Albany Ny USA
I wonder how long it will be before some bored kid hacks the thing and takes it for a joy ride from half way around the world...
CarbideBob
Diamond
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2007
- Location
- Flushing/Flint, Michigan
Somehow I think the guys behind this are going to make a lot of money.
Miguels244
Diamond
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2011
- Location
- Denver, CO USA
Otto is owned by Uber.
You should see what they're doing in locomotive cabs.
The UP has a couple of systems operating RIGHT NOW that only require the engineer to start and stop the train at a terminal. The system controls the throttle after about 10 mph.
Lucky for me, I haven't had to operate one of those trains... I can't think of the name of the two systems, but they use them to attain different goals.
On one, those that have ran them tell me that after the train gets up to the certain speed, the engineer puts the throttle wide open and the system controls everything from there on... it knows the speed limit on all the railroad in it's path, it knows where it's at via GPS down to the gnats ass... it modulates the power output to keep the train at the correct speed whether going uphill or down, through temporary speed restrictions... everything.
The engineer still has to blow the horn... and keep an eye out for unforseen hazards (trespassers.. autos on crossings and etc.). I think they will probably do away with us blowing the horn in the future.
The other system they've got installed is for fuel economy... for example if you've got 3 engines on the head end of your train, and 2 on the rear.. this particular system has the capability to idle some of the engines down, while only keeping one running to provide enough power to keep the train moving at a certain speed.. For instance, say your train is relatively light and doesn't need all three on the head end for power.. it may idle the lead engine, have the second at half throttle, and the third at half throttle... and one on the rear idled and one at half...
It's pretty ingenious how they do this.. all with no input from the engineer other than to set the throttle wide open..
He does have to apply and release the brakes.
This is separate and apart from PTC.... positive train control, which utilizes lineside signals to keep trains from running in to each other.
That's installed on most of the railroad, but not in effect where I'm at...yet.
The UP has a couple of systems operating RIGHT NOW that only require the engineer to start and stop the train at a terminal. The system controls the throttle after about 10 mph.
Lucky for me, I haven't had to operate one of those trains... I can't think of the name of the two systems, but they use them to attain different goals.
On one, those that have ran them tell me that after the train gets up to the certain speed, the engineer puts the throttle wide open and the system controls everything from there on... it knows the speed limit on all the railroad in it's path, it knows where it's at via GPS down to the gnats ass... it modulates the power output to keep the train at the correct speed whether going uphill or down, through temporary speed restrictions... everything.
The engineer still has to blow the horn... and keep an eye out for unforseen hazards (trespassers.. autos on crossings and etc.). I think they will probably do away with us blowing the horn in the future.
The other system they've got installed is for fuel economy... for example if you've got 3 engines on the head end of your train, and 2 on the rear.. this particular system has the capability to idle some of the engines down, while only keeping one running to provide enough power to keep the train moving at a certain speed.. For instance, say your train is relatively light and doesn't need all three on the head end for power.. it may idle the lead engine, have the second at half throttle, and the third at half throttle... and one on the rear idled and one at half...
It's pretty ingenious how they do this.. all with no input from the engineer other than to set the throttle wide open..
He does have to apply and release the brakes.
This is separate and apart from PTC.... positive train control, which utilizes lineside signals to keep trains from running in to each other.
That's installed on most of the railroad, but not in effect where I'm at...yet.
smalltime
Banned
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2010
- Location
- Kansas City
I think they're going to NEED allot of money to pay for the liability insurance.
Dupa3872
Stainless
- Joined
- May 1, 2007
- Location
- Boston Hyde park Ma.
Great now all our truck drivers will be out of jobs. We are going to technology ourselves right out of living. It's pretty scary when you think of it, I'm not against progress. Owning a shop I understand very well all the advantages of automating everything possible but I have seen the impact first hand.
Around 1984 I worked for a very large manufacturer of valves and water meters. We had rows of W&S turret lathes and three shifts running them. The company bought 4 Morie's SL2's and SL3's One year lather the W&S lathes were gone along with maybe 25 guys. All the old timers said "They can't do that job on the new machines" and held onto the crank of their #3, they did. And every other job with it.
This won't happen overnight but it's closer than you think. I'm making camera mounting rigs for a start up company who is very well funded and intends to be a major player in this revolution.
Make Chips Boys !
Ron
Around 1984 I worked for a very large manufacturer of valves and water meters. We had rows of W&S turret lathes and three shifts running them. The company bought 4 Morie's SL2's and SL3's One year lather the W&S lathes were gone along with maybe 25 guys. All the old timers said "They can't do that job on the new machines" and held onto the crank of their #3, they did. And every other job with it.
This won't happen overnight but it's closer than you think. I'm making camera mounting rigs for a start up company who is very well funded and intends to be a major player in this revolution.
Make Chips Boys !
Ron
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