Thread: Autonomous Vehicles

Originally Posted by trog

Excuse my ignorance on the technical details, but whenever I have watched anything to do with modern trains , they always emphasise the deadman switch . Was it disabled on this particular train ?

AFAIK the Deadman Switch is used when the train is under power, e.g traveling down the tracks in a normal fashion.
In this case the train was "freewheeling" so the switch wouldn't have been active.
The "remote controller" only has control over the track switching, not the train itself.
I guess the bean counters that came up with the savings credited to using one driver instead of two will now be poring over their spreadsheets and profit vs loss columns to justify their earlier choices!

Clean-up of mangled runaway train leaves BHP flagging iron ore shortfall
BHP runaway train derailment leaves miner flagging iron ore shortfall amid clean-up - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Tasmanian runaway train didn't respond to remote control, report finds

Tasmanian runaway train didn't respond to remote control, report finds | Australia news | The Guardian

Wow, a remote control system without a failsafe off mode when unresponsive or out of range - I’m guessing it is supposed to do that, but it makes you wonder how much testing of the system in use went on before implementation. That should never happen, no ifs, buts or maybes.

Renault planning for an autonomous future:

, the automotive manufacturing company that doesn't climb aboard this concept are going to be left behind.

In most European countries the majority of vehicle trips are short and provision for services to maintain carriageways and vehicles on them is relatively cost effective there.

In Australia it will be initially around our 4-5 major cities and their main arterials if the councils and governments are prepared to meet costs.

I hope it does not involve taxation to fund as a large percentage of Australians live hundreds of km outside of areas where autonomous vehicles will be operating.

It is going to happen and Adelaide will be at the forefront of Australian development , I'm sure.

An article in a publication distributed in New England says there is going to be a trial of a 14 seat autonomous bus at the University of New England before the end of this year.

The second stage of the trial involves expanding the service to the CBD.

Armidale interest to host automated vehicle trial - Armidale Regional Council

Armidale's first driverless vehicle will begin trials at the University of New England by the end of 2018 | The Land

I wonder if that's the one was trialled on the Sunshine Coast earlier this year.