Earlier quoted context omitted.
Unlike trains, there isn't one action that is basically always safe (stop the train). A dead man switch activating at the wrong time, could itself cause an accident.
Simple, cut the engines. /s
Do a barrel roll :)
Both pilots of an A320 fell asleep in the cockpit for 28 minutes
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Re: Both pilots of an A320 fell asleep in the cockpit for 28 minutes
#22Earlier quoted context omitted.
Each pilot can have a button they must always press, if both are released loud tritones alarms and flashing will fill the cockpit, something no one can sleep to.
That's not impossible, but the pilots' limbs are already largely "spoken for" by other controls and tasks, so it would be a harsh tradeoff.
If other controls are being actively engaged by the pilot, the need for the button press would be delayed only until there's some continuous period of non-engagement.
Re: Both pilots of an A320 fell asleep in the cockpit for 28 minutes
#23First question - how do we tie this to Boeing? (A joke, of course) Second, interesting to note planes don’t have deadman switches.
Unlike trains, there isn't one action that is basically always safe (stop the train). A dead man switch activating at the wrong time, could itself cause an accident.
That’s true, but there are plenty of other options. For example, a dead-man switch could:
Send an alert via transponders that it has been activated.
Maintain level flight but avoid terrain. (After a waiting period in which a pilot can deactivate this feature.) Or descend to a safe altitude if cabin pressure is lost.
Activate a mode in which the plane could be remotely flown or directed to land itself.
Alert flight crew that the pilots are incapacitated.
Or the most basic: make some noise to wake up the pilots.
Re: Both pilots of an A320 fell asleep in the cockpit for 28 minutes
#24Earlier quoted context omitted.
Unlike trains, there isn't one action that is basically always safe (stop the train). A dead man switch activating at the wrong time, could itself cause an accident.
Each pilot can have a button they must always press, if both are released loud tritones alarms and flashing will fill the cockpit, something no one can sleep to.
Well... You can. Sleep deprivation is one hell of a drug. After ~23h on a plane without sleep, I slept through a fire alarm at a hotel. It's unlikely that both pilots and other staff would ignore it, but "no one can sleep to" threshold is not that low.
Re: Both pilots of an A320 fell asleep in the cockpit for 28 minutes
#25I don't know much about the cockpit monitoring systems that Airbus has, but I know every cheap toyota in the past 10 years yells at me if I so much as glance at a billboard.
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Re: Both pilots of an A320 fell asleep in the cockpit for 28 minutes
#26Earlier quoted context omitted.
Unlike trains, there isn't one action that is basically always safe (stop the train). A dead man switch activating at the wrong time, could itself cause an accident.
That’s true, but there are plenty of other options. For example, a dead-man switch could: Send an alert via transponders that it has been activated. Maintain level flight but avoid terrain. (After a waiting period in which a pilot can deactivate this feature.) Or descend to a safe altitude if cabin pressure is lost. Activate a mode in which the plane could be remotely flown or directed to land itself. Alert flight cr…
> Maintain level flight but avoid terrain
Your other ideas are good. But this could kill people if it misfires and takes the plane off course and too far from an airfield.
Re: Both pilots of an A320 fell asleep in the cockpit for 28 minutes
#27Can someone explain to me why we still need pilots? Could we at least have pilots serve as a backup to a fully autonomous system?
Re: Both pilots of an A320 fell asleep in the cockpit for 28 minutes
#28Can someone explain to me why we still need pilots? Could we at least have pilots serve as a backup to a fully autonomous system?
Edge cases
Re: Both pilots of an A320 fell asleep in the cockpit for 28 minutes
#29Can someone explain to me why we still need pilots? Could we at least have pilots serve as a backup to a fully autonomous system?
Pilots already serve as a backup to an autonomous system. They're also useful for takeoff and landing.
Re: Both pilots of an A320 fell asleep in the cockpit for 28 minutes
#30Can someone explain to me why we still need pilots? Could we at least have pilots serve as a backup to a fully autonomous system?
Takeoffs, landings, and navigating dense air traffic in controlled spaces are all still "not smooth enough" for autonomous sytems if human life is valued.
Yes, planes can take off and land on auto pilot - but real world conditions throw curve balls, ditto approaches and departures from high traffic airports.
Even "boring" 10 hour point to point legs that might normally be fully autopilot can be a problem in case of mechanical failures or other unexpected events.