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>We Should really just build rails The beauty of cars vs rails is that cars can go more than just a set in stone angle or path defined by a rail. Cars can go i

by TN412 9y ago

>We Should really just build rails The beauty of cars vs rails is that cars can go more than just a set in stone angle or path defined by a rail. Cars can go in and out of parking lots and dirt roads. Rails would be more automated, yes, but not as versatile.

mozumder 9y ago
Wherever there is a road, there can be rail. Autonomous cars aren't a viable tech until the roads are reengineered with rails built in. It's just way too big of a technical problem to solve with computers alone. Right now the death rate of autonomous cars is far higher than human drivers and it is never going to catch up given that it hasn't advanced technologically recently.
- stickfigure 9y ago
  As someone preparing to lay down a small (1/5 scale) railroad - you vastly underestimate the expense, difficulty, and maintenance requirement of rail. Switches and diamonds (intersections) are especially troubleprone. 2% is considered a serious grade. And derailments happen, more frequently with higher speeds and deferred maintenance. If our rail network was as potholed and badly maintained as our roads, people would die in train accidents every day. Rails are great for intensive, carefully manicured routes. They are not a substitute for roads.
  - jsgo 9y ago
    There seem to be fairly regular (at least, more regular than one would like) AmTrak derailings in the US. That isn't to say I think it is AmTrak's doing specifically, I think it is like you said a maintenance issue coupled with everybody else who isn't on the train interacting with it. Then there are the cases of engineers who are distracted and what not, but I'd imagine we're talking autonomous so that (hopefully) wouldn't be an issue.
- protomyth 9y ago
  We're not talking actual rails, right? Just some kind of marker / beacon with information (like a RFID for the roads).
  - mozumder 9y ago
    I was thinking more superconducting floating maglev with underground power transfer, but whatever floats your boat (rail...)
rags2riches 9y ago
Why not rails for the long distance high speed travel and then low speeds off the rails for that final distance?
- ilovecars2 9y ago
  A lot of ICE train routes run alongside the Autobahn. The beautiful thing about the Autobahn it’s that it’s legal to match the speed of the train. That said, it’s bad for the environment and cruising at 140mph where it’s safe to do so drinks fuel like nothing else.
  - welterde 9y ago
    I think in reality you will find that this is rather difficult to do, especially when it's one of the high-speed lines where the ICE can go 300 km/h - quite fun to watch the cars go by really rather quickly.
    - deleted 9y ago
      [deleted]
jbigelow76 9y ago
Rails empty out into areas that are parking lots, and maybe you don't get the irony of rail but the more of it you have the less parking lots you need. And as far as dirt roads go, if the self driving cars can't make it through well defined, paved roads what are the odds they are going to accurately navigate some dirt road?

by TN412 9y ago

mozumder 9y ago

Wherever there is a road, there can be rail. Autonomous cars aren't a viable tech until the roads are reengineered with rails built in. It's just way too big of a technical problem to solve with computers alone. Right now the death rate of autonomous cars is far higher than human drivers and it is never going to catch up given that it hasn't advanced technologically recently.

stickfigure 9y ago
As someone preparing to lay down a small (1/5 scale) railroad - you vastly underestimate the expense, difficulty, and maintenance requirement of rail. Switches and diamonds (intersections) are especially troubleprone. 2% is considered a serious grade. And derailments happen, more frequently with higher speeds and deferred maintenance. If our rail network was as potholed and badly maintained as our roads, people would die in train accidents every day. Rails are great for intensive, carefully manicured routes. They are not a substitute for roads.
- jsgo 9y ago
  There seem to be fairly regular (at least, more regular than one would like) AmTrak derailings in the US. That isn't to say I think it is AmTrak's doing specifically, I think it is like you said a maintenance issue coupled with everybody else who isn't on the train interacting with it. Then there are the cases of engineers who are distracted and what not, but I'd imagine we're talking autonomous so that (hopefully) wouldn't be an issue.
protomyth 9y ago
We're not talking actual rails, right? Just some kind of marker / beacon with information (like a RFID for the roads).
- mozumder 9y ago
  I was thinking more superconducting floating maglev with underground power transfer, but whatever floats your boat (rail...)

rags2riches 9y ago

Why not rails for the long distance high speed travel and then low speeds off the rails for that final distance?

ilovecars2 9y ago
A lot of ICE train routes run alongside the Autobahn. The beautiful thing about the Autobahn it’s that it’s legal to match the speed of the train. That said, it’s bad for the environment and cruising at 140mph where it’s safe to do so drinks fuel like nothing else.
- welterde 9y ago
  I think in reality you will find that this is rather difficult to do, especially when it's one of the high-speed lines where the ICE can go 300 km/h - quite fun to watch the cars go by really rather quickly.
  - deleted 9y ago
    [deleted]

jbigelow76 9y ago

Rails empty out into areas that are parking lots, and maybe you don't get the irony of rail but the more of it you have the less parking lots you need. And as far as dirt roads go, if the self driving cars can't make it through well defined, paved roads what are the odds they are going to accurately navigate some dirt road?