- #1
Guineafowl
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The recent 737 tragedies have shown us, I think, a few pointers about automation of planes. Of course, investigation is ongoing but my understanding is that the input from a faulty angle-of-attack sensor and an automated system which the pilots couldn’t switch off contributed.
Two worries here - lack of multiple sensors to allow a ‘majority vote’, and no manual override.
Leaving aside driverless prototypes, cars are increasingly going this way - lane departure, auto-brake, stop-start... We’re relying on electronic components placed in harsh environments (vibration, damp, heat cycles) to implement these features. A faulty lane departure could jerk you into oncoming traffic, auto brake could jam on and cause a pile-up, stop-start could wind you across a T-junction (if you’re in first gear and the sensor says you’re in neutral).
1. Are we convinced there’s enough redundancy and resilience built into cars?
2. Do we need a simple ‘all-kill’ switch to allow total driver control, say in the event of a global CAN bus glitch?
3. Will there be a time when we need to put phones, etc into flight-safe mode before setting off?
Two worries here - lack of multiple sensors to allow a ‘majority vote’, and no manual override.
Leaving aside driverless prototypes, cars are increasingly going this way - lane departure, auto-brake, stop-start... We’re relying on electronic components placed in harsh environments (vibration, damp, heat cycles) to implement these features. A faulty lane departure could jerk you into oncoming traffic, auto brake could jam on and cause a pile-up, stop-start could wind you across a T-junction (if you’re in first gear and the sensor says you’re in neutral).
1. Are we convinced there’s enough redundancy and resilience built into cars?
2. Do we need a simple ‘all-kill’ switch to allow total driver control, say in the event of a global CAN bus glitch?
3. Will there be a time when we need to put phones, etc into flight-safe mode before setting off?