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Autonomy and Autonomous Vehicles
From a spark of curiosity to electrifying everything, your first issue of Safe For Work dives into January’s theme of the Dawn of Electrical Engineering.
Anthony Nicalo
January 09, 2024
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From a spark of curiosity to electrifying everything, your first issue of Safe For Work dives into January’s theme of the Dawn of Electrical Engineering.
IN THIS ISSUE: The Evolution of Electrical Engineering
At Greene Township Elementary School, I learned that Benjamin Franklin discovered electricity. I wonder if that was a way to show support for the local lad in his adopted home of Pennsylvania or if my teacher didn't know any better. Although his OSHA-violating experiments are famous, there is little doubt that humans studied electricity long before Ben arrived. In this issue, we'll explore a feat of electrical engineering Asimov posited in his 1953 short story, '"Sally."
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Safe For Work delivers weekly stories and news at the intersection of energy, engineering, safety, and science fiction.
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Some of my favourite courses at the University of Michigan were Eric Rabkin's on science fiction and fantasy. You may surmise that I preferred the reading to the writing assignments, but here we are.
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January’s Theme: The Dawn of Electrical Engineering
Electrical engineering is a story of human ingenuity, rivalry, and collaboration. It's a relentless pursuit to understand and harness the power of electricity. From the early exploration of static electricity to the complex world of modern electronics and power systems, the field is a testament to curiosity and innovation.
Electrical engineering has transformed the modern world. It involves studying, designing, and applying equipment, devices, and systems that use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. This field emerged during the 19th century. It happened as electric telegraphs and power supplies became commercialized. The next evolution, called "electrify everything," will bring huge opportunities and challenges in workplace safety.
And like every significant advance in society, it will be up to safety professionals to help the world turn science from fiction to fact without killing too many people along the way.
The term electricity comes from the Greek word for amber, elektron. The Ancient Greeks discovered that rubbing the fossiled pine resin we know as the gemstone amber, would cause it to attract dust, feathers and other light objects.
Science fiction has a remarkable history of anticipating future technological breakthroughs, often decades before they become a reality. Several electrical engineering breakthroughs were envisioned in science fiction before they were achieved in reality. One notable example is autonomous vehicles.
I can remember when there wasn't an automobile in the world with brains enough to find its own way home. I chauffeured dead lumps of machines that needed a man's hand at their controls every minute. Every year machines like that used to kill tens of thousands of people.
The automatics fixed that. A positronic brain can react much faster than a human one, of course, and it paid people to keep hands off the controls. You got in, punched your destination and let it go its own way.
We take it for granted now, but I remember when the first laws came out forcing the old machines off the highways and limiting travel to automatics. Lord, what a fuss. They called it everything from communism to fascism, but it emptied the highways and stopped the killing, and still more people get around more easily the new way.
Have you heard of the short story "Sally" by the imaginative Isaac Asimov? It's a tale that takes us to a future where cars are not just autonomous, but self-aware and possessing distinct personalities. Think "Herbie" meets "Blade Runner" and you're on the right track! This story was first published in 1953 in the magazine "Fantastic." It was later included in the "Nightfall and Other Stories" collection in 1969.
Our protagonist, Jake, is a retired chauffeur and robotics expert who has the enviable task of caring for 51 of these "automatics." They can think, communicate, and even feel emotions, leading to a romantic and somewhat comical storyline involving Jake and his beloved Sally. But the story is not just about unrequited love; it explores the complex relationship between humans and intelligent machines, touching on themes of AI and machine sentience.
Now, let's talk about the remarkable convergence of multiple disciplines that has led to the evolution of autonomous vehicles. Electrical engineering breakthroughs have played a pivotal role in this journey, with five key advancements standing out for their impact on safety.
Advanced Sensor Technologies: Integration of LIDAR, RADAR, ultrasonic sensors, and cameras is critical for AVs. Safety engineers ensure these sensors work reliably under different conditions, mitigating risks from sensor failures or inaccuracies.
High-Performance Computing and Microprocessors: These form the 'brain' of AVs, processing sensor data and making real-time decisions. Safety professionals develop robust computing systems with redundancy and fault-tolerance to prevent system crashes.
Communication Systems (V2V and V2I): Advancements enhance AV safety and efficiency. Safety engineers standardize communication protocols, ensuring they are secure and reliable to reduce accident risks.
Power Electronics and Electric Propulsion: Parallel development with electric vehicles. Safety engineers focus on designing safe and reliable power systems, addressing challenges posed by high-voltage batteries and electric motors.
Machine Learning and AI Algorithms: Essential for data processing and decision-making in AVs. Safety professionals program these algorithms for safety-centric decisions, prioritizing passenger and pedestrian safety.
These advancements showcase a multidisciplinary effort, where electrical engineering innovations are closely interwoven with rigorous safety considerations, highlighting the crucial role of safety engineering in developing and deploying autonomous vehicles.
Autonomous vehicles have made significant inroads in sectors like mining and agriculture, where they have addressed unique challenges and complex safety issues. These sectors highlight the intricate balance between leveraging the advantages of autonomous technology and managing the safety complexities inherent in their respective environments.
Ferrexpo autonomous truck from Wikimedia Commons
And so, we can see how Jake's concerns in Asimov's story about ensuring harmonious interactions between sentient cars and humans reflect real-world workplace safety considerations with the integration of autonomous technology. We're confident that much of Asimov's vision will become reality, and the roads will be much safer than many thought possible in the coming decades. We'll still need a solution to people unable to look up from their phones stumbling into others on sidewalks, though.
In Safety News…Hey Boeing! You dropped something. Pour one out for the EHS pros at Boeing where they just can’t seem to convince the company that having a safety culture is valuable.
National Transportation Safety Board
Fortunately the failure of the door plug on the Boeing 737 Max 9 was not as dire as the problems of the 1970s when Alaska Airlines was crashing into mountains.
Now that the planes are grounded, inspections are revealing loose bolts. After the historic problems with the 737 Max, perhaps it is time for Boeing to listen to their marketing and HR teams as we hear in 2024 customers and employees value not dying.
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