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S.C.A.A.T.S.
Secure, Computer-Assisted, Automated Transportation Systems
You overslept. You have a meeting in an hour. The office is 60 miles from your home and you still have to go over your notes. You have just enough time if you skip your shower. You hop in your electric powered vehicle which has been recharging overnight and drive the to the entrance ramp marked 'ATS'. Driving up the ramp, you feel your vehicle engage with the roadway. An opening in the traffic is provided and your car nestles between two vehicles already on the roadway. You enter your destination into the onboard computer, open your briefcase and get to work preparing for the meeting.
Its a dream as old as the automobile itself, you get in your car and it automatically drives you to work or to your aunts house in some far away city. The dream could become a reality if a new system being developed in Wisconsin goes on line.
The automobile will continue to be the primary mode of transportation for the foreseeable future. Most urban and suburban commuters require the flexibility of a personal vehicle to function in our society. However, the way in which future vehicles will be powered and the manner in which they will operate will be quite different from that which exists today. All of the major automobile manufacturers are developing electric and hybrid electric vehicles in an effort to meet ever tightening emission requirements. Some metropolitan areas are studying mass transit systems including 'Light Rail', carpooling, staggered drive days and intelligent highways (IVHS) to solve their air quality problems.
There is a way to combine the elements of Electric Vehicles, Light Rail and IVHS to create a transportation system which compliments and strengthens the attributes of each system while eliminating their individual limitations. In the process of designing the 'ATS' or 'Automated Transportation System', it became obvious that the problems plaguing other transportation systems could be played against each other in a way which creates advantages not possible with each system operating independently.
The ATS System consists of 3 interactive elements: an electric vehicle, a special 'slotted' roadway, and an interactive computer network. The vehicles will be capable of operating on existing roads under operator guidance or 'automatically' on the special 'trackway'. When traveling on the trackway, the vehicles will be physically connected to a 'control rail' located within a slot in the trackway from which the vehicle will receive power and stability. While on the trackway, the vehicles will be controlled by a systemwide interactive computer network designed to coordinate all traffic, allow autopilot operation, and create 'car-trains' with each vehicle drafting the vehicle in front of it. This ability will not only increase speed, but also the efficiency of the vehicles.
A typical ATS commuter will drive onto a ramp similar to an existing freeway ramp, and pass through a 'transition zone' wherein a 'control arm' will engage with the slot in the trackway. Once connected, the operator will enter a destination into the onboard computer, either verbally or by keyboard. This information will be transmitted from the onboard computer to the central 'system-wide' computer which will determine the quickest route to the selected destination. The central computer will position the vehicle into a 'train of cars' with each vehicle drafting the vehicle in front of it. Because the central, systemwide computer is on line with each vehicle and its destination has been entered, it will have the ability to assemble and reassemble the 'car trains' as the vehicles travel.
Upon arrival at the preselected destination, the vehicle will automatically exit the system via ramps. There will be a second 'transition zone' on the ramps where the driver will be required to perform interactive tasks, completion of which will allow control of the vehicle to be returned. In the transition zone, the control arm will release from the roadway allowing the operator to drive the remaining distance to his or her destination.
Other alternative vehicle systems have encountered significant technical problems. To boost the range of electric vehicles, a tremendous amount of energy is being directed toward development of a high capacity storage battery. Most alternatives to lead acid batteries have side effects including toxicity, longevity, cost and disposal problems which in turn must be corrected. We feel that current electric vehicle technology is sufficient if power is supplied from the roadway. Future advancements in battery technology will be beneficial in providing an additional margin of safety.
Another technology being developed as a solution to future transportation problems is IVHS or Intelligent Vehicle Highway System. Current proposals include; radar, locator wires buried in the roadway, and a variety of electronic traffic control measures. All the requirements of an IVHS system will be featured with the ATS system. The central computer will coordinate all traffic, automatically determining the quickest route for each vehicle on the system.
Light Rail is also being studied by several metropolitan areas as a remedy for air quality problems. Mass transit in the form of 'Light Rail' has two major drawbacks; most commuters will continue to use automobiles, so air quality problems will persist, and installing rail lines in congested central city areas is expensive and can actually add to downtown congestion. We feel that an ATS system using 'automated buses' capable of operating both on existing roads when in urban areas, and on a guided trackway when traveling in open areas would be a more appropriate solution.
As previously mentioned, the combination of elements provides additional capabilities which are not possible with each element working independently. An example can be found in the physical connection of the vehicle with the trackway. Not only does it provide a positioning device and a positive restraint for the vehicle, but it also provides a conduit for communication and power transmission from the trackway to the vehicle. This connection will effectively allow unlimited range and auto-pilot potential for electric vehicles. Another unique advantage of a positive trackway connection is the inherent safety factor and the possibilities of traffic compression - the ability of the system to 'nest' vehicles together in 'car trains' with one vehicle traveling closely behind the vehicle in front of it. This will allow greater traffic volume in the same roadway footprint, at MUCH higher speed and efficiency. It is well known that a large percentage of the energy used in moving a vehicle is wasted overcoming wind resistance. With each vehicle following closely behind the other, they will be traveling in a partial vacuum, thereby requiring less energy while also traveling at greatly increased speed. It is a win-win situation. Also, because of the auto-pilot feature, fatalities due to driver fatigue, visibility and weather conditions will be eliminated.
The system promises benefits beyond urban/suburban travel. Intercity travel will be greatly enhanced as range of travel is only limited by how far the system is expanded. In this respect, it will be a true substitute for short hop air travel. Travelers will not have to wait for connections or delayed flights, nor will they have to arrange ground transportation when they arrive at their destination.
Also, the ATS system will have the ability to subsidize mass transit vehicles by including revenues produced by personal vehicles on the roadway. Being that the ATS system is in fact a 'toll road', mass transit vehicles would be privately subsidized by personal vehicle use rather than being subsidized by the state or federal government.
Another advantage is that the technology for the principal elements of the ATS system already exist. The vehicles will be similar in appearance to the electric or hybrid electric automobiles currently available. The key difference between a production electric car and the proposed ATS vehicle is the inclusion of the 'control arm' designed to interact with the control slot in the trackway. This connection method, which is the focus of our research, facilitates a connection similar to a toy 'slot car' but with redundant safety provisions built in. The vehicles will be prevented from accidentally leaving the roadway under all circumstances.
In order to bring the system on line, a significant amount of investment will be required. As a preliminary source of funding we are proposing the system as an alternative to Light Rail for metropolitan areas, using 'bus' type vehicles rather than automobiles. Several municipalities considered 'non-attainment areas' are studying the feasibility of Light Rail to reduce air pollution. (Regions considered 'non-attainment areas' are required by law to implement mass transportation, car pooling or other techniques in order to comply with Federal air quality standards.) The biggest obstacle to Light Rail is cost and public resistance to rail installations in congested areas. The ATS system offers an alternative by allowing 'automated buses' to travel on existing streets in congested areas under driver control which will eliminate the need for rails, while also providing automated transportation on a guided roadway in open areas, thereby giving the system speed and independence from existing freeway traffic.
The ATS system is an important evolutionary step in the development of personal transportation as well as mass transit. Our existing freeway system, which is already tremendously overloaded in certain areas, will be incapable of handling future traffic loads. This, combined with the production of smaller and lighter automobiles and large double- trailer trucks, is seriously compromising highway safety. This safety factor, which has been largely ignored, could be used as an argument to build the ATS system alone, not to mention its other attributes. In addition, with the continuing increase in vehicles on the road, and the emergence of Third World economies, there will a constant increase in the demand for oil, a commodity for which we already import greater than 50% of our consumption. A hyper efficient transportation system is a necessity if the economic status of our country is to be maintained. The ATS system will provide: unlimited range for electric vehicles, auto-pilot safety and convenience, and traffic compression combined with high speed and efficiency.
The goal is to satisfy the needs and requirements of a mass transit system, an exercise which will provide the infrastructure required to expand the technology to allow personal vehicles to travel on the system.
The Transportation System described is currently being developed as a Light Rail alternative for the City of Milwaukee. If you would like information regarding how the system may be adapted for your city, please contact us. We would be happy to discuss your particular needs.
Revised 1999