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Heat Sensor to stop train

Detect human on tracks and stop train and alert police.
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(+1, -3)
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I believe there should be sensors, pressure plates, radar or some device to detect a warm body or human on subway tracks. This is to prevent subway trains from hitting or crushing anyone that falls on the tracks. This system should warn the conductor of train a few second before reaching a stop. I think it should work this way.

1. human accidentally(or with full intention of kill oneself) steps on the tracks.

2. the next train scheduled to arrive at the stop is alerted immediately.

3. conductor stops the train immediately and calls the authorities.

Most likely this will not stop anyone from getting hit by a train if they jump directly in front of the train. Anyway. What do you think?

f23racer, Jan 06 2011

[link]






       I think we've found yet another use for a piping hot McDonald's coffee [ ]
FlyingToaster, Jan 06 2011
  

       I think it's fairly obvious and youv'e not added anything new. You've left out the possiblities of using video detectors, and you've added an un-needed step in step 3 by having the conductor call the authorities instead of having them notified directly.   

       Yes, there should be a warning system in place.   

       Welcome to the HB.
baconbrain, Jan 06 2011
  

       //Name the train that can stop in a few seconds. I dare ya.//   

       of thought...   

       //of thought...//   

       There is another train that can stop in but a few seconds, [2fries], but I dare only elude to it here.
MikeD, Jan 06 2011
  

       Any train can stop in a few seconds, if it hits a major obstruction and gets derailed.
Wrongfellow, Jan 06 2011
  

       ...which, of course, suggests a way to implement this idea. It operates more or less as follows:   

       1. Sweet, innocent little girl, clutching well-worn teddy bear, strolls with blissful unawareness into path of oncoming train.   

       2. Emergency sensors fitted to track detect presence of little girl.   

       3. Specially provided points (or switch, or turnout, depending on your nationality) between crossing and train, but far enough away to ensure girl's safety, operate automatically in response to signal from sensors.   

       4. Train is diverted into specially-constructed twelve-foot thick stone wall.   

       5. Train is rapidly brought to a stop. Resulting pile of wreckage and mangled corpses is sufficiently distant from girl to avoid injury or distress.   

       6. Girl and teddy bear emerge unscathed on opposite side of track.   

       A child's life has been saved by this wondrous piece of technology! Clearly, all railways worldwide should standardise on it immediately.
Wrongfellow, Jan 06 2011
  

       The gravy train [MikeD]?   

       Ever wondered why there is the pit below the tracks at London Underground stations? It's so there is a moderate chance the people will not end up on the track but fall into the pit...and then the train might miss them.
RattyBunyip, Jan 07 2011
  

       This might be implementable in specific areas, where you can deploy the sensors (stations, grade crossing). The stopping distance of a train would mean that this prevent items from behing hit if they were stalled on the track, but not if they darted onto it. The time it takes a person or car to cross a given track (or duck out of the way if pits/alcoves are provided) is less than the stopping time of a train, so if someone enters the track after this point nothing will stop the train (even de-railing runs a surprisingly long distance before stopping).
MechE, Jan 07 2011
  

       Any of you bozos ever heard of "natural selection" ? Humans who cannot survive being hit by trains are simply unsuited for their immediate environment and are thus eliminated by selection pressures (in this case, several hundred tons of metal travelling at high speed).   

       Eventually, either (a) humans will cease to get in the way of huge, heavy, fast moving objects, (b) humans will evolve impact-absorbing structural modifications, or (c) your species will become extinct, at least in the vicinity of railway lines.   

       We know which outcome we're putting our two bucks on.
8th of 7, Jan 07 2011
  

       I think that the use of a sensor to stop a train is an unsatisfactory solution to the wrong problem. Those on the platform should be prevented from reaching the track in the first place.   

       Perspex shields along platform edges that have doors where the train doors will be when the train is stopped... That's used in a number of London Underground stations.
Jinbish, Jan 07 2011
  

       Heat sensor? That chunk of meat hasn't even been cooked yet. At least tenderize it and add some seasonings.
lurch, Jan 07 2011
  

       That's what the 600V third (and fourth) rail is there for.
8th of 7, Jan 07 2011
  

       8th, you forgot the fourth and most likely option: humans will simply breed much more often to compensate for train-lemming losses.   

       One could always change the shape of the rail to hide / cover the live current section.
RayfordSteele, Jan 10 2011
  
      
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