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How are the road markings visible to the first snowplow?

by aqme28 10y ago

ucaetano 10y ago
http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/snow-canyon-japan http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/snow-canyon-japan "Sometime in early March, a bulldozer specially equipped with both a GPS and a mobile satellite phone is sent up the mountain and over the Snow Canyon. The GPS and sat phone work in tandem to provide the driver a detailed video screen image of the dozer’s location in relation to the center of the snow-buried highway. This driver’s job is not to clear snow, but simply to lay out an accurate track of the road itself."
kiallmacinnes 10y ago
There is no first "first snow plough", only a continuous stream of snow ploughs - at least until the AI goes on strike ;)
benjamincburns 10y ago
Lots of other people talk about fancy GPS systems in this thread, but it's been done for far longer with much simpler, arguably more reliable technology: long poles/sticks either painted with bright high vis paint, or more recently, retroreflectors. It reminds me a bit of the story about NASA and the gazillion dollar space pen, vs the soviet space agency and their pencils.
- jsm386 10y ago
  Sure, why not a "gazillion" at this point: > When the solution of providing astronauts with a ballpoint pen that would work under weightless conditions and extreme temperatures came about, though, it wasn’t because NASA had thrown hundreds of thousands of dollars (inflated to $12 billion in the latest iterations of this tale) in research and development money at the problem. The “space pen” that has since become famous through its use by astronauts was developed independently by Paul C. Fisher of the Fisher Pen Co., who spent his own money on the project and, once he perfected his AG-7 “Anti-Gravity” Space Pen, offered it to NASA. Via http://www.snopes.com/business/genius/spacepen.asp http://www.snopes.com/business/genius/spacepen.asp
  - lern_too_spel 10y ago
    The Soviets used the Fisher Space Pen, too. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fact-or-fiction-nasa-spen/ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fact-or-fiction-n... Pencils have issues with electrical systems, waste, and flammability.

How are the road markings visible to the first snowplow?

by aqme28 10y ago

How are the road markings visible to the first snowplow?

http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/snow-canyon-japan http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/snow-canyon-japan "Sometime in early March, a bulldozer specially equipped with both a GPS and a mobile satellite phone is sent up the mountain and over the Snow Canyon. The GPS and sat phone work in tandem to provide the driver a detailed video screen image of the dozer’s location in relation to the center of the snow-buried highway. This driver’s job is not to clear snow, but simply to lay out an accurate track of the road itself."

kiallmacinnes 10y ago

There is no first "first snow plough", only a continuous stream of snow ploughs - at least until the AI goes on strike ;)

benjamincburns 10y ago

Lots of other people talk about fancy GPS systems in this thread, but it's been done for far longer with much simpler, arguably more reliable technology: long poles/sticks either painted with bright high vis paint, or more recently, retroreflectors. It reminds me a bit of the story about NASA and the gazillion dollar space pen, vs the soviet space agency and their pencils.

jsm386 10y ago
Sure, why not a "gazillion" at this point: > When the solution of providing astronauts with a ballpoint pen that would work under weightless conditions and extreme temperatures came about, though, it wasn’t because NASA had thrown hundreds of thousands of dollars (inflated to $12 billion in the latest iterations of this tale) in research and development money at the problem. The “space pen” that has since become famous through its use by astronauts was developed independently by Paul C. Fisher of the Fisher Pen Co., who spent his own money on the project and, once he perfected his AG-7 “Anti-Gravity” Space Pen, offered it to NASA. Via http://www.snopes.com/business/genius/spacepen.asp http://www.snopes.com/business/genius/spacepen.asp
- lern_too_spel 10y ago
  The Soviets used the Fisher Space Pen, too. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fact-or-fiction-nasa-spen/ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fact-or-fiction-n... Pencils have issues with electrical systems, waste, and flammability.