Driverless Vehicles. Part-Two.

'More common that we Realise.'

Many modern tram, mono rails and rapid transit systems are now robotically controlled around the world. The most famous of these is perhaps the London Docklands Light Railway, were millions of people each day put their hand's in their driver less trains.

This now extensive network that serves East and South-East London is controlled from one centre at Poplar, while the main depot is at Becton. This line also goes underground now in two places from Tower Hill (Gateway) to Bank and under the River Thames from Island Gardens on the Isle of Dog's to Greenwich (Cutty Sark).

Many of the newer monorails in Germany are also driver less, not as extensive as the London DLR and the new London Ski Lift they are automatically controlled. In time more and more systems and trams will be automated, perhaps with only a conductor or ticket collector to give re-assurance of human contact!

London Overground. Part-Two.

Revitalising old rail lines.

This is the answer to helping to expand the overground network for London, it is much cheaper than expanding several other established surface lines such as the District and Metropolitan.

Development of overhead electrics is being persuade for west London and possibly for the east also. This is one of many proposals that are now coming to fruition and they are welcomes, because of the massive strain on the whole London Underground system.

The future holds Cross-Rail and how that will help relive the existing pressures, in time like the Docklands light railway this too will have to expand with several off-shoots.

The problems originated with the failure of the old London County Council and its fore runner the GLC to plan ahead, or even ask big business to make a serious investment.

Docklands Light Railway. Part-One.

DLR.

The development of the East-London (UK) Docklands light railway was to open up the old docks for new building regeneration and expansion. Light rail was chosen as a easier means than say an Underground extension or a tram way. The DLR was to be an automated train, no driver. but the guard could over ride the system in an emergency. 

Initially the train ran from a new station at Tower Gateway, near to the Tower of London castle to Island Gardens on the southern end of the Isle of Dogs. Not really an island, but becoming one because several of the older docks cut up the area.

Asimo

The rise of the Robots.

We have had robotic automation now for some time in aircraft, train, metro piloting systems, examples being auto-pilot and the London Docklands light rail system (DLR). This could be described as the first generation, along with military drones etc. 

Now that the Honda Asimo and other similar humanoid robots have been created, we are perhaps moving into the second generation.  

Has sci-fi becoming a reality? 

These robots will help greatly in the care of older folks and the disabled in the ability to lift them. Currently the U.S. army has announced its first successful mechanical horse. This horse will move much faster than any natural animal, but also do the job of the mule or donkey in mountainous regions like Afghanistan/Pakistan. But what will the third generation of robots bring to humanity? Will there ever be a day when the machines take over, such as in the Terminator scenario of films?