What will rail transport look like in the future? A new range of autonomous vehicles can put the conventional train in check.
The global crisis that the economy is experiencing does not seem to end. Whether due to tensions at the political level or, simply, cyclical fluctuations, the truth is that it has not been possible to find stability in terms of economic growth after the pandemic. In many cases, this is due to the problem that is existing in terms of logistics. This department has become one of the most prominent in large and medium-sized companies for some time now.
The shortage of materials that has taken place as a result of the pandemic and paralysis of the economy has caused supply to become one of the main problems worldwide. Crazy salaries in the transport sector have failed to attract the workforce, which is causing delivery delays of products sold. Given this scenario, can there be a solution through autonomous driving systems?
A team of engineers, who were part of SpaceX, has managed to find a technology that could revolutionize land transport. It is nothing more and nothing less than a set of autonomous vehicles that circulate through the railway infrastructure. It is, therefore, a proposal that bases its differentiation on the incorporation of equipment specially designed to follow the guide marked by the tracks.
Now, why is it a new invoice technology? Thanks to the incorporation of a new system of software, it is possible to enter shipping addresses, which will allow vehicles to move a container to a location close to the customer. The objective of this proposal is guarantee the shipment of the necessary material in the shortest possible time. This, moreover, would be possible at a much cheaper price than through any other conventional proposal.
Let’s see, therefore, how this innovation would work, why we are faced with a new alternative in the sector and, of course, what are the odds that we will see a solution of these characteristics in the market. And you, do you think it could find its own viability? Here are some of its main keys.
A kind of autonomous vehicle designed to be a benchmark in transport
We are used to seeing how there are trains capable of exceeding a kilometer in length due to the transport of multiple containers. Why not copy a proposal with these characteristics at a much smaller size? The proposal carried out by this group of professionals goes through create a much more specific and differential product. The key to this would lie in the provision of lower costs and a faster delivery service.
Among the qualities of this proposal would be the possibility of eliminating the driver and, of course, the tractor head of the train. For this, a kind of rails with autonomous technology capable of carrying out transport on conventional roads would be enjoyed. Between the virtues of this system lies, of course, the lower maintenance cost and, above all, the incorporation of artificial intelligence. Now, why can it be more efficient than conventional rail transport?
Among the virtues of this system, the presence of connectivity is striking. The vehicles will be able to communicate with each other, which will allow different routes to be traced in order to join forces along the way. Thus, dock and undock from a container It will be something simple to do. In this way, less electrical energy will be required. Well, what other additional solutions can you offer?
Simple structures to diversify container routes
In those areas where there may be forks, selections will be made to later join in convoy. In this way, it will no longer be necessary for a train to arrive at a specific station in order to later embark on a new path to finish the delivery. Thanks to this curious system, the time needed to complete the routes will be reduced to the maximum.
Parallel Systems intends to carry out this business in the coming years. Now, what are the capabilities of each of the vehicles that have been designed? It is striking to see how each of the units is capable of carry a maximum of 58,000 kilograms for a total of 800 kilometers. Thanks to this, this system may be valid for most of the transports that will be carried out in the future.
It should be noted, however, that the project that is under development It is currently admitting a total of 80 kilometers of autonomy. We will have to wait a while, therefore, to see to what extent it is possible to create a product that offers the features that have been considered.
Related topics: Technology
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