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Linux Hits the Road
An anonymous reader writes "Vicroads does regular surveys of the roads in Victoria, Australia, to determine where they need to be patched or otherwise repaired. It used to be done in a vehicle travelling at 20 kph: slow, tedious, and hazardous to the traffic around it. Now, thanks to Linux, it's being done at speeds of 80 to 100 kph. The Melbourne Age has the details. Short version: the cost has fallen from $1.2 million Australian to $850,000. Not bad..."
Why aren't they using a RTOS?
Linux make something better?
unbelievable!
www.necroticobsession.com
Let's map them potholes. 'nuff said.
-
And the Angel said unto me, "These are the cries of the carrots! The cries of the carrots!"
I've been wanting to build a system that'd use cameras to find the lines on the road and keep my car between them. Now GPS would probably be an easier way to guide a car down the road, but i'd still like to see if it's possible, safe, and reliable.
Does it also map roadkill streaks?
So what. So they saved $36.83US. What's the big deal?
It was expected that the solution would be one involving Windows and written in Visual Basic...I don't think that I would have undertaken a task like this, where a computer is on the road, using anything but a robust operating system.
hey steve, start booking that flight!!!
My problem? I was perfectly gruntled, until some numbnuts came by and dissed me.
(I wrote FireWire camera support for QNX, and looked at the Linux code to see how to do some things. It didn't help much.)
(Windows support for FireWire is painful in a different way. It's incredibly complex, and has far too much kernel code, to allow for DRM. And the Video for Windows retrofit for FireWire is flakey.)
I like the title of the pictures:
The penguin road patrol
Disclaimer: This opinion was created without the use of any facts
This high-speed video capture is definitely the way to go for a first step, but of course the situation will be hugely improved when all that data can be taken back to the lab an scanned for drivability by software instead of by human brainpower.
Perhaps when the sun is low shadows would be cast over potholes that would lead to lower temperatures inside the crater than on the surface of the road. That would make infrared cameras an obvious choice for picking out the cold-bottomed potholes.
Or perhaps a rear vehicle could shine a light at an acute angle to the ground that would turn potholes into shadowy pits for easy detection by a forward vehicle on the other side of the pothole?
So many possibilities. (So many challenges!)
I'd say it was good for everyone that the lecturer who happened to have the know-how to make this system was more experienced with Linux than Windows. Otherwise, they would have an expensive, buggy VB implementation, we wouldn't have another Linux success story, and every car in Austrailia would be driving over potholes that made security holes look like nothing!
Actually reading the article shows that Linux is incidental to the 'breakthrough'. The improvement comes from video processing software, not from the operating system of the computers that perform the processing.
A newspaper article about Linux that backs up its claims with details, has not one hint of FUD.
Soeriously now, an nwspaper article that mentions
limitations in the firewire drivers.
I mean the readers are expected to know what drivers, RAM, firewire, is.
They call Linux robust and hint that windows isn't.
There is no catch!!!
Now this is unbelievable!!
This must be a hoax article.
You don't really get stories like this in the newspaper
just to make sure we all understand the proper terminology:
the road ahead (what is technically called the pavement)
Jesus saves souls and redeems them for valuable cash prizes
And, surprisingly honest. I'm quite impressed with how honest they were about the problems they faced.
:)
And that's where OSS evangelism has to happen... showing that OS is better even with its problems, not that proprietary is worse and OS is perfect. Good for them
... but this artice is pretty ridiculous:
"My experience with Windows is limited. I have been a Linux user since 1993 and I have considerable experience in programming in that environment," Ferguson said. "In any case, I don't think that I would have undertaken a task like this, where a computer is on the road, using anything but a robust operating system."
I mean, is it *really* that much harder to grab some video in Windows vs Linux? Having never programmed in Windows, perhaps someone can enlighten me, but I would expect that software like this is 99% image processing, and the choice of OS makes little or no difference. I can understand, all thing being equal, using the OS you're more comfortable with... but jesus they make it sound like Linux saved the day here, when that's their only argument.
We always make fun of the retarded M$-funded cost-of-ownership studies. How about posting some stories that show the REAL benefit of OSS in everyday applications?
"...LINServo to capture and rate the video footage and PMSVideo for clients to look at the finished footage..."
I have 6 sisters, PMSVideo is not something I'd like to see. It sounds like a really horrible fetish video.
But then again after reading other details...
"...so far generated about 1.3 terabytes of video footage..."
"...Due to limitations of the Linux firewire drivers, only 896 meg of RAM gets used..."
"...we took out the air-conditioner and added a second alternator..." YIKES!
I can maybe see why it was named as such!
~Z
Full day drive away in Sydney, we're suffering through the MILLENIUM train fiasco, technology supplied by, no surprise, a Microsoft Operating system.
aarrh!
VicRoads recently resurfaced the main road near my house... After 4 weeks working on a 400m (1/4 mile) stretch of road they went away. Leaving a worse surface than they had started with...
It's fairly typical of VicRoads to resurface perfectly good roads regularly (every 6-12 months) and the roads that are actually in bad shape get ignored, or made worse... I guess it must have something to do with where the money lives...
Why do all that? Think about the problem for a second (easier if you think this in 2D). A pothole is a deviation from a particular norm (level road).
Maybe a sonar transducer combined with a neural net (smooth out some of the variables, and increase accuracy) would have worked better. It would have also reduced the amount of data that needed storing.
Mods this as a troll?
What an unfortunate acronym. Maybe when they get an editor put together they can call it STD Edit.
Why we like to live in Oz :-)
I am Slashdot. Are you Slashdot as well?
We played dungeons and dragons for 3 hours.....then i was slain by an elf
I tend to view Linux's future in binary terms. It is either 0 (a failure) or 1 (a success). I think the failure will come if Linus ever adopts ReiserFS code in the kernel. The success will most likely come if the FSF updates the GPL to include a section where corporations can patent GPL'ed software. Patenting is what sparks innovation. We have a lot in OSS right now, but we'll have more if companies like Red Hat can patent large portions of their distribution.
...and everything to do with using a computer to replace a manual process. The OS (Linux, Windows, or other) has little to do with the success of the project. If, for example, Windows 2000 had been used rather than Linux the sub-heading would have been "short version: the cost has fallen from $1.2 million Australian to $849,800". Yawn.
"In any case, I don't think that I would have undertaken a task like this, where a computer is on the road, using anything but a robust operating system."
I realize that MSWindows has a zillion bugs, but I never knew that its bits could shake loose from going over bumps.
Look at your own posting history. A 5, with 3 replies ? Is that the best you can do ?
I think it is time for you to retire this nick, and sit back and review your failures and Tr***axor's tutorial. At this rate you will acheive a vaunted listing on the Assmaster's monthly sometime next decade, if at all.
I hate to say it, but maybe you just don't have the nack, and need to think about moving to easier hunting grounds, like k5.
"It was a scary experience when we got to the South Australian border and had a power supply in the PC fail," said Arya.
Sounthern Australia border?? I would assume that all that water wouldn't be good for them either.
I love the smell of Karma in the morning
I've done hundreds of hours of video capture in Win2K with nary a glitch. Bad hard drives will screw things up, but that's a bandwidth and timing issue, not an OS issue. Hell, I used to run a capture every single night (Voyager) and surf the net at the same time - running win2k on a 450MHz PII machine.
Sorry, couldn't resist. I wonder if yearly vehicle registration fees will decrease now? VicRoads charge ~$440 for a light vehicle, and ~500 for a medium vehicle. That's more than one weeks wage for many people.
Maybe if VicRoads switched all their systems and PCs to Linux; vehicle ownership would not be out of reach for so many. I should send them a Tux t-shirt with my next payment.
BladeMelbourne
Linux mapping out our roads... SCO can probably lay claim to the speed-humps.
We're so impressed with Linux, we're running one rig at >110 with 2.6.0-test3. We'll save hundreds of thousands of dollars more. It even has 802.11g, as I'm typing this ri--*eerrrrrrrrrr* *sqqqqqueeeeeellll* *BOOM*
*BANG*
*CRASH*
I have failed in this arena. It is self evident. I will never give up though. If my calling is to be the one who fails at /., than so be it.
Maybe your criteria for success is out of whack with that of my own?
See here for details.
Q.
Insert Signature Here
From the article (on using Windows):
We probably would have had a computer that blue-screened on us at least once or twice a day.
Right after he admits having no knowledge of Windows systems. WTF? He's blown all of his credibility with that statement. Zero experience with Windows and he's insulting it. He's as bad as the Windows people who don't like Linux or BSD because they don't want to learn something new.
With buggy drivers, a Linux kernel panic is just as likely as a Windows blue screen - and don't tell me that KDE never crashes because it does from time to time. My Windows 2000 box currently has an uptime of 31 days from when I had a game crash on me (and the FreeBSD box next to it of 46 days from when we had a power cut).
Here's a hint: To win more Linux converts, stop insulting the competition - and by extension - users of the competition.
I cant remember what company, but some luxury manufacturer (caddy?) has a very new system that does this to a degree, i dont rememebr if it notices your drifting and just alerts you or corrects itself. Anyone have any more information on this, its late/early, i cant rememebr any specifics.Ok, its BMW, 8th paragraph.
"Sic Semper Tyrannosaurus Rex."
that searching their site for "linux" results in nothing.
Slashdot community, please notice: I am looking for a girlfriend.
Nave H. Weiss
It's the English language, which automatically makes the English right. The rest of you are just borrowing. So if the english say it's "colour" then that's the way it's spelt in English.
Hell, if they said you spelt it "zxhjshfdikd" then they'd still be right.
It's a feature!
Slashdot does regular surveys of the WEB servers in Victoria, Australia and other places, to determine where they need to be patched or otherwise repaired. The method (slashdotting) is simple and reliable and is also known as "brute force", DDOS and "who has more bandwith, you or we?".
He said he had limited, experiance, not no experience. And with bill gates confession that five percent of windows systems crash more than twice a day the chances of him knowing all two well the habit that MS systems have of failing
and don't tell me that KDE never crashes
Why would a survey device with the job of simply recording data use KDE, or for that matter GNOME, or even X? Somehow I seriously doubt that KDE's crashing effects this thing in the slightest.
Back in the days when I used KDE I saw it crash a number of times (not as frequently as most MS user interfaces I have used), but even if they were running KDE they cirtainly woudn't be stupid enough to have the data monitoring program running on top of it, and so therefore the mission critical application would continue to run perfectly. This is not as much of an option for windows setups when a UI failure or a falure of a non-essential subsystem can take down the entire system.
When Argumentum ad Hominem falls short, try Argumentum ad Matrem
...why one is South Australia, and the other is Western Australia.
Why not South Australia and West Australia?
Why not Southern Australia and Western Australia?
The mind boggles. Slightly.
The revolutionary new pavement defect detecting system has also made waves with its bold choice of transportation. Pavement management services were originally going to use a 1997 Mitsubishi Pajero, however after consulting with the team's driver James Smith, they decided to go with an older model Holden Jackaroo.
"My experience with Mitsubishis is limited. I have been a Holden driver since 1993 and I have considerable experience driving their vehicles," Smith said. "In any case, I don't think that I would have undertaken a task like this, where a car is on the road, using anything but a familiar vehicle."
it was on Quantum around 1988.
How we know is more important than what we know.
The CSIRO's RoadCrack system is designed to find cracks in the pavement as small as 1mm wide, at 'highway speeds' of up to 105Km/h (65Mph).
The link doesn't say when this one was built, but it won awards in 1999, and was 'upgraded' in 2001.
I find your ideas intriguing and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.
Oh, come on, it had to be said.
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Am I the first to notice there is no such thing as kph? In metric we use km/h which better describes the measurement. -T
America is FUCKED, and Australia is going up, up, up. Your dolalr is going down the shitter.
FUCK YOU STUPID YANKEE!!!
Aparently, their website still moves at 20 kph
Karma: The shiznight, mostly because I am the Drizzle.
SCO has just published a press release :
"[...]SCO will be offering a Linux license for mobile systems at the price of $699 for a single CPU system who are moving below 20mph and +49$ by additionnal mph.[...]"
...you do have the choice to use either the CRT's open() function or Windows' OpenFile/CreateFile API calls; You don't have to use the more complicated one if you don't want the extra features. Most of the nastier parameters to CreateFile, such as that infrequently-used SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES structure, can be passed NULL to get default behaviour, so you don't have to set up the ACL on the file by hand if you don't want to.
I'm afraid it's the old rule coming into play here; Some complicated tasks require complicated APIs. On the other hand, MS could have stuck with *nix's user/group/everybody permissions and never required a CreateFile API. I'm sure the merits of ACLs are a bone of contention in some places.
If the subject had been "Windows is like a blond" then the parent post would be +5 funny by now instead of -1 Flamebait.
Get a grip mods - and get a sense of humor while you're at it.
And with bill gates confession that five percent of windows systems crash more than twice a day the chances of him knowing all two well the habit that MS systems have of failing
5% of systems is nothing in the scheme of things. It's easy to put that down to the morons out there that simply run the spyware that comes down to Kazaa.
Why would a survey device with the job of simply recording data use KDE, or for that matter GNOME, or even X? Somehow I seriously doubt that KDE's crashing effects this thing in the slightest.
Then why are you using data submitted by computers loaded up with crap by ordinary joes to justify your position on windows stability. If I ran nothing more than a video capture application I'm sure I could get more uptime than 12 hours. Hell, even with all the gaming I do on my Windows XP box I still get uptimes of 1 week and upwards. My roommate runs a whole load of services on his XP box and he gets uptimes of 2 weeks and upwards.
But I'm not a mean guy. I'll make you a deal. If you bring your mindset into the 21st century I'll treat you like a human being instead of some mindless zealot.
I wish they'd go back to 20kmh because the roads around here are getting worse all the time. They're always ripping up good roads and replacing them with potholes.
Someone should go "falling down" on their arses.
In Australia, wouldn't that be "dollours"?
an economy in the top 10 in the world (and standard of living to match) with a population of only 20 million
a free market but with strong enough social policies that -EVERYONE- can afford the best health care and education we offer
a relatively unpolluted environment indeed pristine in many locations
about 3 handgun deaths per year
all the sheep we could possibly ever shag next door in NZ
so what were you saying?
- an economy in the top 10 in the world (and standard of living to match) with a population of only 20 million
- a free market but with strong enough social policies that -EVERYONE- can afford the best health care and education we offer
- a relatively unpolluted environment indeed pristine in many locations
Won't be long before Howard farks that upIncidentally, Australian roads already suck, from what I hear all over this story. So even if they find the potholes (potholes, unlike cracks, are easy to find) they probably won't fix them, or they'll go make some more to preserve the conservation of potholes.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
It's funny how this article is credited to an "anonymous reader", while anonymous commentators are smeared with the moniker "anonymous coward". How about joining the 21st Century and giving anonymity some respect?
An anonymous reader writes "Vicroads does regular surveys of the roads in Victoria, Australia, to determine where they need to be patched or otherwise repaired. It used to be done in a vehicle travelling at 12 mph: slow, tedious, and hazardous to the traffic around it. Now, thanks to Linux, it's being done at speeds of 50 to 60 mph. The Melbourne Age has the details. Short version: the cost has fallen from $800,000 USD to $560,000. Not bad...
except for those starving native children right? ;) there are still serious problems.
even in the best countries like australia and canada
Yep, annoys me too.
It seems the americans aren't taught the SI system units at school, how else could they have so many variations?
For example I've seen yanks use MM, M/M, Mm, mmtrs and such for mm (millimetres).
Enforce the law against the source. Not the affected. For you are no better yourself.
Australian roads suck because there are so few people to pay for so much road, as the population density is so much lower than many other developed countries. About a tenth the population of the US, with about the same area. It's why Oz is a popular place for manufacturers to test cars for durability - bad roads, but civilised (ie good cold beer readily available)
I live near this section of highway, & travel it frequently. It's a straight stretch (several kms) of undivided 4-lane, 2 lanes north, 2 south.
The truck was a heavy semi, (tandem drive tractor, tri axle trailer). It was travelling at 100km in a rain storm, & aquaplanned while passing other traffic travelling at more sensible speeds, & jack-knifed into oncoming traffic.
It was NOT an accident, it was manslaughter!!
Ooh, a whole two weeks??? That's unpossible!!!