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Foodtubes Proposes Underground, Physical Internet
geek4 writes "Automatically routed canisters could replace trucks with an Internet of things, says Foodtubes. A group of academics is proposing a system of underground tunnels which could deliver food and other goods in all weathers with massive energy savings. The Foodtubes group wants to put goods in metal capsules two meters long, which are shifted through underground polyethylene tubes at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour, directed by linear induction motors and routed by intelligent software to their destinations. The group, which includes an Oxford physics professor and logistics experts, wants £15 million to build a five-mile test circuit, and believes the scheme could fund itself if used by large supermarkets and local councils, and could expand because it uses an open architecture."
That was Ted Stevens, not George W. Bush.
My postings are informational and does not constitute legal advice. Act on it at your risk.
... so it's like a series of tubes, right?
Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) said that, not Bush.
Not kidding.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Tunnel_Company
Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
1: Getting right of way to drill the holes needed for that stuff.
Similar to problems laying fiber right now. Next time a road is dug up to repair something, stick in a foodtube as well. Eventually a network will start to take shape - it may take a couple of decades, but at minimal disruption and cost.
2: Maintaining it. It sounds like if the induction motors break down, fixing those would be a PITA.
Have service cannisters using onboard power that can push the broken cannister to the next service chute.
3: Unsticking the cargo if it gets jammed somewhere.
See above.
4: How many of these can travel through the tube network at a time? If the induction motors can't handle that many, it might not be as efficient as the company touts.
Depends on the length of each link, and how far apart the service depots are.
5: Security of cargo. I'm sure there will be people who would love to divert things to their end.
That's something that already happens in real life with trucks, and especially the internet. It's an inherent problem whichever way you choose to distribute things.
6: Transients climbing in the tubes, and cleaning the messes up if they get struck. If a bum dies in the tunnel, does the company get sued for wrongful death?
I'd have thought the tubes would be sealed, the only entrance/exits being at the service depots. If a bum breaks into a power station and gets electrocuted, does the power company get sued?
7: Plans for power outages.
IP networks are subject to those too. Some small UPS at each depot to ensure that cannisters get to a depot in the event of a power outage, rather than get stuck in tunnels.
Ceci n'est pas un sig.