http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/ Engadget Comments for http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/
HELP US!]]>Feb 24th 2009 8:31AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/Feb 24th 2009 2:54PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/Wait, what just happened ?..]]>Feb 24th 2009 8:38AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/
-jp
]]>Feb 24th 2009 10:48AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/
As far as I know, this is the only line in NYC that is wired up with the precise train tracking system. We won't see it on any other line for a long time.]]>Feb 24th 2009 8:38AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/
The techs over at Skynet say its gained sentience and its on ITS OWN TRACK NOW.


-God Help us]]>Feb 24th 2009 9:09AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/
]]>Feb 24th 2009 9:40AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/Feb 24th 2009 10:03AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/
Five more: I can't wait for more.]]>Feb 24th 2009 8:40AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/Feb 24th 2009 8:43AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/Feb 24th 2009 9:38AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/Feb 24th 2009 11:31AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/Feb 24th 2009 11:35AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/People always hold the doors - how will our new robot overlords deal with this?]]>Feb 24th 2009 9:00AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/Feb 24th 2009 9:16AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/Feb 24th 2009 9:03AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/Feb 24th 2009 9:05AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/
Pretty soon most people's jobs could be taken over by a machine.]]>Feb 24th 2009 11:39AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/Feb 24th 2009 3:51PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/Feb 24th 2009 5:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/
Perhaps Skynet can do better.]]>Feb 24th 2009 9:10AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/
As for productivity, well, the "L-trains" will probably shirk most of the day to log onto CrackNet.com to get wind of the latest leaked beta Skynet OS, each one with failed promises to take over the world.

:)]]>Feb 24th 2009 10:52AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/]]>Feb 24th 2009 12:23PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/Feb 24th 2009 9:16AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/Feb 24th 2009 9:28AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNqKnfT52tw

Many newer metro systems such as the BART, Hong Kong's MTR and New Delhi's Metro also have (almost) fully automated systems, with a driver on-board in case something goes wrong.]]>Feb 24th 2009 10:31AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/
really? that explains...well nothing really...but thanks for the info!

and as for the article...+1 for the most appropriate use for "meatbags"!]]>Feb 24th 2009 12:00PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/
They don't have any kind of attendants, there's no driver car (though when it's snowing or something they send a staff member onto each train, I think just to reassure people, there's nothing they could actually do there). There's a big window up the front of each carriage with a front-facing seat. You get quite a lot of kids there, 'driving the train'. It's cute.]]>Feb 24th 2009 12:50PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/

]]>Feb 24th 2009 8:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/Feb 24th 2009 9:19AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/Feb 24th 2009 9:26AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/Feb 24th 2009 9:30AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/Feb 24th 2009 9:32AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/Feb 24th 2009 9:36AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/Feb 24th 2009 9:40AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/Feb 24th 2009 10:19AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/
Tokyo subway trains may have positive train control (where the train can be controlled remotely), but that's an override in the case of driver incapacitation or something - and anyway, that's still human control. They don't use CBTC like the L train in NYC does.

Washington's subway system is completely CBTC-based.
]]>Feb 24th 2009 12:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/
It has been consistantly the most reliable métro for me to count on.

Oh and its funny to see the face of people ---- Yes I'm confident in the hardware and softwre and YES I like to be bullet driven by a line of code to my destination.

Enjoy your human controllers New York!]]>Feb 25th 2009 1:50PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/
The operator only open and close the train door and that's it.

Our maxinum frequency, if my memory is correct, is one train per 100 seconds]]>Feb 24th 2009 9:36AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/
In fact, this article says specifically (as other similar articles also do) that the first fully automated train in Hong Kong is running on the line to Disneyland: http://www.railway-technology.com/projects/hong_kong/

And that line didn't open until 1998. That doesn't mean it was automated in 1998 either, though.
]]>Feb 24th 2009 12:35PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/Feb 24th 2009 9:59AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/Feb 24th 2009 9:56AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/Feb 24th 2009 10:02AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/Feb 24th 2009 10:18AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/Feb 24th 2009 10:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/Feb 24th 2009 10:39AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/Feb 24th 2009 11:26AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/Feb 24th 2009 12:25PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/
Also, the newer robocars with automated voices are nice because, shocker, you can actually hear the announcements, unlike the lazy MTA folk who garble into the PA system and you can maybe understand 10% of the announcements. I say replace ALL MTA folk with robocars and computer systems - the whole lot of MTA employees need to be downsized then maybe they will start to give a crap about doing even a mediocre job.]]>Feb 24th 2009 12:31PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/robotrains-take-over-nys-brooklyn-manhattan-line-under-careful/
It is possible for a train operator himself to be driving too slow and hold up trains behind, and then as passengers build up waiting on stations due to the longer waits, you get a cascading effect as trains then end up stuck in stations as passengers board. And the delays increase. So that can be due to human factors in driving the train, and it doesn't take much. But the signals have never been controlled by humans. (The "hold lights" at stations are a different thing; they're not part of the signaling system, they're the lights right next to the conductor position and they are human controlled.)

You don't know how the blocks are defined, so when you say it's "impossible" that there's a train holding you up, that may not be true. For example, I think it's on the Manhattan bridge (either it or the Williamsburg) that only one train can run at a time, even though there's clearly capacity for more. It's for maintenance reasons. The bridge is a block. If one train's at one end of the bridge, a train all the way at the other end still has to wait. This is not true of other bridges.

By the way, the reason the CBTC trains can have shorter headways is that they do away with the block system. I'm not sure exactly how CBTC maintains headways but I believe it is constantly calculating both distance and time between trains to maintain even spacing and safety. So there should be fewer starts and stops in tunnels too, because you shouldn't need to be waiting for a train to completely clear the next block ahead before you can proceed. (And that happens all the time on other lines, because the blocks are not all the same length and don't all have the same speed limit.)
]]>Feb 24th 2009 12:48PM