Comments on: Greener should also mean better and more mobility http://euractiv.blogactiv.eu/2009/09/15/greener-should-also-mean-better-more-mobility/ Let Europe know! Your opinion counts; send a letter to the Editor Sun, 15 May 2011 18:04:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 By: Jack O'Sullivan http://euractiv.blogactiv.eu/2009/09/15/greener-should-also-mean-better-more-mobility/#comment-742 Jack O'Sullivan Thu, 25 Mar 2010 16:07:04 +0000 http://euractiv.blogactiv.eu/?p=3385#comment-742 Eric, Thank you for a very stimulating and interesting essay, and I agree with you that the technology exists -- all we need is new thinking "outside the box". The concept of a two-wheel driver’s module is very innovative, as opposed to the "normal" four-wheeled vehicle; but for small rural roads with poor surfaces, it might be good to have a third wheel which would provide a stable driving platform under all conditions of road surfaces. The third wheel could assist the steering and direction-maintaining capability of the two driving wheels, and it could be retracted when the driver's module becomes linked with others to form a "train". Automatic train-forming is clearly a key to the adaptation of such a system, with each train being automatically kept within the necessary "lane" when driving on single-lane or multi-lane roads. Another problem to be addressed is what would happen if one or more of the modules in the train needed to disengage and take another route. Using your example above, John drives his 2-wheel module to Mullingar (near where I live in rural Ireland !), and on the way his module might link automatically with other modules going in the same direction. In the former (!) railway station in Mullingar, which has become a concentrator or node, John's module joins up with many others to form a "train" to Dublin along the concreted-over former rail line. But he and perhaps others want to travel only as far as an intermediate town. Would they have to be joined at the end of the "train", or could the train temporarily split so that John's module could disengage, and take the turn-off to, for example, Maynooth, which around 20 km from Dublin. Fault tolerance and safety systems will be essential; and there remains the serious question of acceptability to the driver. In my car, I feel in control, though I might be driving at high speed on a crowded express-way. In an aircraft, most people experience some fear because there is no sense of being in control, even though intellectually we know that the risk of injury or death is very much greater on that crowded highway. In his automatically controlled e-module, as part of a "train", how would John feel ? I would be concerned that very many drivers who are used to being "in control" of their cars, would be quite apprehensive about handing over control to a "train" in which other travellers could be considered unreliable (for example, could a person who has much drink taken be able to carry out some action which would "derail" the entire assembly ?). These are questions to be addressed in the next few years, but maybe the answers are already in place ! Thank you again. Jack O'Sullivan Environmental Management Services Tullynally, County Westmeath, Ireland (member of Comhar -- the National Sustainable Development Council). Eric,
Thank you for a very stimulating and interesting essay, and I agree with you that the technology exists — all we need is new thinking “outside the box”. The concept of a two-wheel driver’s module is very innovative, as opposed to the “normal” four-wheeled vehicle; but for small rural roads with poor surfaces, it might be good to have a third wheel which would provide a stable driving platform under all conditions of road surfaces. The third wheel could assist the steering and direction-maintaining capability of the two driving wheels, and it could be retracted when the driver’s module becomes linked with others to form a “train”.
Automatic train-forming is clearly a key to the adaptation of such a system, with each train being automatically kept within the necessary “lane” when driving on single-lane or multi-lane roads. Another problem to be addressed is what would happen if one or more of the modules in the train needed to disengage and take another route.
Using your example above, John drives his 2-wheel module to Mullingar (near where I live in rural Ireland !), and on the way his module might link automatically with other modules going in the same direction. In the former (!) railway station in Mullingar, which has become a concentrator or node, John’s module joins up with many others to form a “train” to Dublin along the concreted-over former rail line. But he and perhaps others want to travel only as far as an intermediate town. Would they have to be joined at the end of the “train”, or could the train temporarily split so that John’s module could disengage, and take the turn-off to, for example, Maynooth, which around 20 km from Dublin.
Fault tolerance and safety systems will be essential; and there remains the serious question of acceptability to the driver. In my car, I feel in control, though I might be driving at high speed on a crowded express-way. In an aircraft, most people experience some fear because there is no sense of being in control, even though intellectually we know that the risk of injury or death is very much greater on that crowded highway. In his automatically controlled e-module, as part of a “train”, how would John feel ? I would be concerned that very many drivers who are used to being “in control” of their cars, would be quite apprehensive about handing over control to a “train” in which other travellers could be considered unreliable (for example, could a person who has much drink taken be able to carry out some action which would “derail” the entire assembly ?).
These are questions to be addressed in the next few years, but maybe the answers are already in place !
Thank you again.

Jack O’Sullivan
Environmental Management Services
Tullynally, County Westmeath, Ireland
(member of Comhar — the National Sustainable Development Council).

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