Automated transport systems

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For the automation of national, or global, infrastructure there obviously needs to be automated transportation. To take ore from the mines to material processing plants (if not on site), to take processed materials to manufacturing plants and to take goods and products to their destinations, not to mention the supply of components and machinery to other automated facilites.

And we can't forget transporting people. Cars are very inefficient in terms of energy per passenger and they are extremely dangerous. Due to the everyday nature we sweep under the carpet quite how risky driving really is. The annual global death toll in road accidents is an amazing 1.2 million people per year and 15 million serious injuries (source: [1] & [2]). This is the equivalent of Auckland, the most populous city in New Zealand, being nuked each year in terms of death, and every man woman and child in New York and Hong Kong being severely injured every year. And 'severely injured' means such things as amputations, paralysis and brain damage. Bad news. (Almost to illustrate the point, the day after I wrote this someone I knew died in a road accident).

Trains are the most efficient in terms of energy per unit weight moved, at least over land. They are also the easiest to automate.

• Trains
  • Light rail
  • Personal rapid transit
  • Maglev
    • Vacuum maglev system
• Cars and road vehicles
• Electric vehicles
• Aircraft
  • Personal aircraft
  • Sub-orbital passenger craft
  • Spacecraft etc.
• Airships
• Ships