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Two Big Tests For Personal Rapid Transportation
Al writes "A novel kind of transit system, in which cars are replaced by a network of automated electric vehicles, is about to get its first large-scale testing and deployment. Two of these Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) systems are being installed this year, one at Heathrow International Airport, near London, and one in the United Arab Emirates, where it will be the primary source of transportation in Masdar City, a development that will eventually accommodate 50,000 people and 1,500 businesses and is designed to emit no carbon dioxide. The article examines these two systems and includes video that includes an animation of the PRT system in action."
You want to talk about automatically-piloted vehicles. Shit. This morning I was driving through the downtown area and this Chevy Blazer comes flying around a corner, tires squealing and horn honking. I take a look and (obviously) it was a woman driving. Or should I say "sitting at the wheel", because her hands certainly weren't on the wheel.
Now, I'm the first one to argue that you don't need both hands on the wheel at the same time, but at least you need to have one hand on it to consider yourself driving! Jabba the Hutt in the Blazer was putting on makeup and eating a Ho Ho while careening around 2nd Ave at 30mph with no hands on the wheel. I can only assume she was navigating with her belly, because that's the only thing that could possibly have been touching the steering wheel at the moment.
You want to credit Heathrow and freaking Arabs with driver-less cars? How about the United fucking States of goddamned America? We've been pioneering this shit since London's been overrun by Asians.
"Note the wind turbines in the background of the video."
Brilliant; a transport system that only works on windy days.
Why not just stick a sail on top of your car and cut out the middleman?