UniversitiesAndSkyTran
From SkyTran Implications Wiki
Universities could play a significant role in the development of SkyTran. Near-instant transportation around a city will have a similarly large effect at the local scale as "the death of distance" in the virtual world had in the past decades, and it will create a similarly wide range of opportunities for cutting-edge research across many academic disciplines. For example:
Arts & Sciences:
- Physics: Magnetic levitation, propulsion and switching; efficient and cheap solar cells and energy storage
- Computer Science, Mathematics: Voice/graphical interfaces; critical embedded controls; optimally routing thousands of vehicles; cryptographic security protocols
- Criminal Justice, Public Administration: Crime and terrorism; emergency services; access by disabled; safely transporting impaired riders (Don't get MADD; get SkyTran! ;-)
- Political Science, Philosophy, Liberal Arts: Security/privacy trade-offs; public versus private control; regulation
- Psychology: Speech interfaces; passenger acceptance, credibility and trust of automated transport
- Sociology Use by and impact on different social groups: immigrants, poor, elderly, youths and mentally-handicapped; effects on families and city life
- Environmental Sciences(also Engineering): Energy and environmental effects; policy implications (e.g. subsidies for construction and renewable energy use)
- Regional Economic and Social Development: Routing; placement of street and in-building stops ("portals"); effects on housing patterns and neighborhoods
- Languages: Training computer speech interfaces in many languages for destinations, information and emergency commands
- Biology: Biologically-inspired algorithms for autonomous vehicle routing (e.g. previously-busy stop "trail", pheromones "attract" vehicles)
School of Education:
- Safeguards and policies for transporting high-school, middle-school and perhaps younger students on SkyTran
- Policies for access to portals in school buildings
- Parental and school policies for youthful SkyTran riders
- SkyTran transport of Special Education students
- Class travel via SkyTran
School of Health & Environment:
- Safety and ergonomics of SkyTran vehicles and portals
- Elder and handicapped travel on SkyTran
- Work environment for trades, professionals, and service personnel (SuperConsultants) who use SkyTran frequently during their working day
- Home nursing, community health care and service delivery on SkyTran networks
- Epidemiology and public health effects of changed travel patterns
College of Engineering:
- Mechanical: Magnetic levitation, propulsion and switching dynamics; vehicle dynamics and aerodynamics; low-cost mfg. vehicles, magnets, coils and switches
- Civil: track and portal construction; safety; designing for earthquake and storm loads
- Electrical/Electronic/Energy/Computer: System-scale solar power storage and distribution; sensors; magnetic switching; safety interlocks
- Chemical(Nuclear), Plastics: Lightweight composite vehicle materials; organic solar cells (Konarka); possibility of nuclear power
- Assistive Technology: Portal, vehicle and interface designs for users with disabilities
College of Management:
- Management, Management Information: Models for manufacturing, deployment and operation; subsidies to compensate positive externalities
- Accounting, Finance, Marketing: Target markets and price structure; system expansion and coverage; public/private financing models
Other Campus Groups:
- Nanotechnology/Nanomanufacturing: Application for improved solar cells, permanent magnets and strong, lightweight composites for vehicles
- Building and Grounds Routing; placement and installation of in-building portals; detailed implementation plans; maintenance
- Administration Project coordination; prioritizing research and routing, safety
- Student Life Student input on route and portal placement; system evaluation and suggestions; grad student and student intern participation
