[Quietcars] It's Not All Science Fiction

[michael townsend]

Thanks for this interesting piece.  

Mike T

 

-----Original Message-----
From: quietcars-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:quietcars-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Mary Ellen
Sent: Sunday, August 08, 2010 4:29 PM
To: 'Discussion of new quiet cars and pedestrian safety'
Subject: [Quietcars] It's Not All Science Fiction

 The following article is somewhat off topic, but I thought some of you
interested inautomobile innovations might be interested. 

 

 Natalie Stechyson

>From Wednesday's Globe and Mail

Published on Tuesday, Jul. 20, 2010 8:56PM EDT

Last updated on Tuesday, Jul. 20, 2010 9:18PM EDT

A

s two small cars embark on a journey from Italy to China, they’re missing
only one

thing for the 13,000-kilometre trip: drivers. On Tuesday, a team of
engineers in

Italy embarked on the longest test-drive of a driverless vehicle yet.

Robotic technology is constantly improving and evolving, working out its
kinks and

generating better models. In the meantime, the skies, seas and rails are
already

dotted with automated vehicles. Still, some scientists say it will be at
least 20

years before you can take your hands off the wheel during your morning
commute.

In Canada, the focus is on safety, says Transport Canada spokesperson
Mélanie Quesnel

– which is why, for now, all cars must have a driver. But the technology is
catching

up. An advanced radar system detects the presence of pedestrians on the
roadway,

and stops the vehicle before it hits anyone. This is showing promise, Ms.
Quesnel

says.

“Ultimately, it is the role of component and vehicle manufacturers to
develop and

improve the technologies,” Ms. Quesnel said. “If Transport Canada detects
any safety

issues, the department will make the manufacturer aware of our findings.”

Cars: Italy’s Electric Porter Piaggio

Italy’s Electric Porter Piaggio made headlines Tuesday as the car of choice
for Vislab’s

cross-continental test drive. Electric in their power source and colour –
bright

orange – the test cars are equipped with sensors and laser cameras to help
them detect

and avoid obstacles. Two technicians will be in each vehicle to handle any
technological

glitches or take over the wheel in case of emergency. The cars follow a set
of non-automated

vans, convoy-style.

Technicians encountered a problem turning off the lot in a test drive last
Thursday.

A car got between the van and the test car, cutting off communication. The
technician

had to take the wheel to merge with traffic.

In North America, Lexus already advertises a car that parallel parks on its
own,

and General Motors unveiled its new driverless car at the 2010 World Expo in
Shanghai.

Planes: U.S. Military’s Predator and Reaper

The first unmanned aerial vehicle was developed in 1916, technology improved
during

the First and Second World Wars, and by the 1980s militaries were using
drones regularly.

The U.S. military’s Predator is perhaps the best known. General Atomics
released

the model in 1995, and the planes are primarily used by the U.S. Air Force,
with

a price tag of $4.5-million each. The Predator is mostly a reconnaissance
vehicle,

but can also carry and shoot two missiles. Pilots control the planes from
the ground.

The U.S. Air Force has used the Predator in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq.
More

than one-third have crashed, which pilots on the ground have blamed on
clunky controls.

The Reaper is faster, more powerful, and costs $10.5-million to produce. The
United

States uses the Reaper as a fighter in Afghanistan, and to monitor its own
borders

back home. As of 2009, the U.S. Air Force’s fleet stands at 195 Predators
and 28

Reapers. Pentagon officials have called the drones their most effective
weapon against

al-Qaeda.

Trains: Vancouver’s SkyTrain

Vancouver’s SkyTrain, which zips around the waterfront city on an elevated
50-kilometre

track, is the world’s largest system of driverless trains. Many of these
systems

exist between airport terminals in large cities, but Vancouver’s automated
train

system covers the entire city. The first track opened in 1986, and the most
recent

Canada Line opened just before the 2010 Olympics. Driverless trains were
first introduced

in 1983 in France, and currently operate in more than 30 cities around the
world.

Not one has ever had a serious accident.

In June, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority in California
financed a

study to develop a personal rapid-transit system to link the airport with
other transit

hubs. These pod cars move at approximately 40 km/h along an elevated track
and carry

four to six people. Pods are already running in London’s Heathrow Airport
and in

Abu Dhabi. Sweden and South Korea also have plans to develop the pod cars.

Water Vehicles: BP Oil

Unmanned surface vehicles (USVs), or boats, have been tested since the
Second World

War, but have been largely overshadowed by their robot cousin: the
Autonomous Underwater

Vehicle (AUV). The first AUV was developed in 1957. Oil industries, gas
companies

and oceanic researchers use AUVs to map the ocean floors. BP Oil uses AUVs
to inspect

its equipment and, more recently, monitor the spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
The robots

are monitored by an offshore service vessel.

The Israeli navy uses USVs to patrol their coast. And most militaries uses
UAVs to

detect mines and submarines and monitor coastlines.

Technology and Industry: Corecon and “the mine of the future”

Corecon, based in Illinois, has one of the largest automated vehicle product
lines

on the market. Its vehicles are for factory use – vehicles that tow, load
and cart.

The company has been developing these systems for more than 20 years. Its
driverless

factory vehicles have been used in the aerospace industry, car assembly and
to load

heavy rolls of paper in newspaper printing rooms.

In late June, iron ore giant Rio Tinto unveiled its new, completely
automated operating

system in Perth, Australia. Nearly 500 technicians and operators control a
cluster

of rail systems, mines and port systems over 1,500 kilometres away. They
have driverless

trucks, remotely operated drills and blasting, automated train systems and
remote

loading. Rio Tinto CEO Sam Walsh has said his company has created the “mine
of the

future.”