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Replacing Operators with Technology

MarcusZ1967

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2018
Messages
122
Location
Mrshfld, Missouri
Occupation
Do-All
At Caterpillar, Peoria, the 49 acre (under one roof) warehouse has computer generated orders filled by mini forklifts running 30 MPH between the shelf rows, picking parts from bar codes and dropping them off on the upstairs deck for shipping. They been doing it for a few years now and adding more of the warehouse to it continually. They are doubling the parts storage capacity without increasing building size. No humans tread in the automated area. It would be deadly for sure.

Ooohhhh, squishie for sure there.

But. How much would haking damage any thing. Get into the system.

Add (if C language).

#include <stdio.h>
int main()
{
int n, reversedNumber = 0, remainder;

printf("Enter an integer: ");
scanf("%d", &n);

while(n != 0)
{
remainder = n%10;
reversedNumber = reversedNumber*10 + remainder;
n /= 10;
}

printf("Reversed Number = %d", reversedNumber);

return 0;
}

Input = 4539
Output = 9354

. Simple as that, "IF" you can get in.
 
Last edited:

Graham1

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2012
Messages
300
Location
Hampshire, UK
they seem to think its a good idea till someone gets hit which has about happened to me about 6 times. thing was carrying a load and they told me i was out of the way it took a turn and the load bout hit me would of took out my knee if someone dint pull me back
Mixing automated and pedestrians is asking for trouble.
Normally automated warehouses don’t allow pedestrians in. One near me has no windows and operates in the dark to save on electricity.
 

old-iron-habit

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 22, 2012
Messages
4,233
Location
Moose Lake, MN
Occupation
Retired Cons't. Supt./Hospitals
Mixing automated and pedestrians is asking for trouble.
Normally automated warehouses don’t allow pedestrians in. One near me has no windows and operates in the dark to save on electricity.

The one in Peoria has 20+ foot high chain link fence separating the automated side from the human side of the warehouse. The automatic forklifts run on some kind of a track system with one screaming down between each row of shelving.
 

catwelder

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2016
Messages
383
Location
north carolina
Occupation
welder
Mixing automated and pedestrians is asking for trouble.
Normally automated warehouses don’t allow pedestrians in. One near me has no windows and operates in the dark to save on electricity.
basically the way they have it is going off sensors however because this is the first one we have gotten they haven't gotten to where it would stop on a dime for a person it will come about 5 inchs to you before it actually stops and it wont detect anything unless it actually see it. the thing has hit a fork lift 3 times its hit one of our frames that was being moved its hit carts its basically needs a clear path or it aint gonna stop
 

Jeckyl1920

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Joined
Jul 31, 2018
Messages
226
Location
Riverside, CA
basically the way they have it is going off sensors however because this is the first one we have gotten they haven't gotten to where it would stop on a dime for a person it will come about 5 inchs to you before it actually stops and it wont detect anything unless it actually see it. the thing has hit a fork lift 3 times its hit one of our frames that was being moved its hit carts its basically needs a clear path or it aint gonna stop
Ya. I would compare it to a jukebox box, or redbox machine. It catalogues where everything is and has a map of drivable area. The program knows where all the forklifts are, but a collision sensor wouldn't work great at high speeds, and is dependent on range of sensing, type of object, etc..

If you take the "unknown" human part out of the equation, they can run faster and have way less accidents if any.

If it's a high speed rail system, they dont even have to worry about collisions. They only have to have a loading sensor for the output cart. This would be the same as having dozens of really lazy operators who only work 1 aisle, and truck driver that goes really fast between them all. At least a simplified version.
 

catwelder

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2016
Messages
383
Location
north carolina
Occupation
welder
Ya. I would compare it to a jukebox box, or redbox machine. It catalogues where everything is and has a map of drivable area. The program knows where all the forklifts are, but a collision sensor wouldn't work great at high speeds, and is dependent on range of sensing, type of object, etc..

If you take the "unknown" human part out of the equation, they can run faster and have way less accidents if any.

If it's a high speed rail system, they dont even have to worry about collisions. They only have to have a loading sensor for the output cart. This would be the same as having dozens of really lazy operators who only work 1 aisle, and truck driver that goes really fast between them all. At least a simplified version.
they have them for our shipping where its just shelfs and they do alright because no one walks down there anyways but where we are at its a lot of foot traffic from us to other people so its just a mess
 

funwithfuel

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 7, 2017
Messages
5,567
Location
Will county Illinois
Occupation
Mechanic
Their power plants must be magical. They can produce energy with no carbon . But I can see that, you got all these windbags running around saying electric is the way to go, that must be how they turn the windmills and produce the energy.
But realistically, You can't have zero emissions, it's not plausible. Everything we do from breathing on up, produces carbon emissions on one level or another. You build a nuke plant, you have the decayed fuel to deal with.(NOT carbon, so it's ok) Plus you have all your ancillary support. Water is as close to clean as it gets, but it's inconsistent , you have drought , you're not producing the same level . Wind, again , another boondoggle. Is that really paying off? Don't get me wrong, it's keeping guys working and making a good dime doing it. But is it paying off? Solar is no better, inefficient to support large scale infrastructure. What's left ? Coal , Natural gas and Nuclear. But in this country we regulate the industry to death. Look at coal . At least President Trump is trying to resuscitate the coal industry. here in the Midwest we have energy plants everywhere.Cali can't be having no ugly smokestacks poking up. But they sure consume some Megawatts . I'm just picking on them cuz they are the land of fruits and nuts. Can't build any refineries. But 3rd world countries can produce energy by any means necessary. Sometimes that means taking an old gas or diesel engine from a car here and hooking it to a generator or water pump over there, running continuously forever, till it dies. That's ok cuz that's how they do it, and who are we to tell them they can't? But other governments including our own tax, regulate and choke the life out of industry. That's why we are a non-producing nation. To make stuff, there's this ugly by product called carbon emissions. Nobody wants to deal with the far reaching hand of the EPA . As a result, industry suffers to the point they say, " FU@% it!!" and give up the game. I understand clean air is necessary and nice. I'm not trying to bring down acid rain and Armageddon. We gotta wise up. We can't let our country enter into treaties with other nations that would A) disarm us B) restrict our ability to prosper C) impose unfair restrictions/regulations. What do you all think


I'll get off my soap box now. Just needed to purge that .
 

John C.

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Jun 11, 2007
Messages
12,870
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Northwest
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Machinery & Equipment Appraiser
Don't forget about hydro power. It is the only one that can be turned on and off with the flick of a switch and produces no atmospheric pollution. But in Washington State hydro power is not considered a renewable resource. Go figure.
 

funwithfuel

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Mar 7, 2017
Messages
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Location
Will county Illinois
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Mechanic
I mentioned water, and you're absolutely right, it's as clean as it gets. Except, you have to maintain it, you need parts for it, this and that still needs another piece of equipment to perform the repairs and maintenance. I wonder, how much energy goes into producing a turbine and stator . So little that we can claim zero emissions? I don't know.
 

John C.

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Northwest
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Maintenance on an hydro like Bonneville is about every thirty years. On a cost per unit of power, nothing comes close. Just you and I being here causes emissions. My wife can speak to my emissions after a big dinner and copious amounts of barley nectar. One has to conclude as long was humans inhabit this piece of rock, we will have an affect. The question is how to limit that affect without eliminating ourselves.

Check out this site;

https://www.hydro.org/waterpower/why-hydro/available/hydro-in-the-states/west/

There is nothing in the foreseeable future that has the capacity or convenience with less environmental impact than hydro power. Its only constraint is politics.
 

Jeckyl1920

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Joined
Jul 31, 2018
Messages
226
Location
Riverside, CA

I'm down for slapping dozens of these along the coast line. I'm sure they can anchor turbines under the surface to use current as well.

Cali uses natural gas plants. We have stacks, they just hide them in low income areas.
 

Theweldor

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Joined
Feb 17, 2018
Messages
556
Location
Western, NY
Occupation
The Village Idiot
Whole trouble today is try building any of this and see how the enviro-maniacs,public, and politicians hang you by your nuts!
 

funwithfuel

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Mar 7, 2017
Messages
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Will county Illinois
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Mechanic
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cn...ion-from-nea-for-autonomous-construction.html

Looks like more people are getting into taking away operators jobs. Techs will always have work, I think? But we'll have to convert to electrical engineers. Electromotive techs might be next line of heavy equipment techs.

And yes, I know this is a zombie thread that should be dead. Everytime I look on LinkedIn, i see more hybrid, full electric or autonomous devices getting a stronger grip on our livelihood.
 

Jeckyl1920

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Joined
Jul 31, 2018
Messages
226
Location
Riverside, CA
It won't matter how efficient they are if they can't clean up the power supply. I would be fine with electric machines if they would release the advanced solar technology to power it. Until then, WOT diesel it is!

The utterly insane amount of tech from the 70-80's that still isn't in use is biblical. Combine that with the "I don't care if it doesn't affect me directly" mentality and turning a blind eye to horrific pollution in industrial countries..... we are seriously en route to Wall-e being a reality.
 

MarcusZ1967

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2018
Messages
122
Location
Mrshfld, Missouri
Occupation
Do-All
It won't matter how efficient they are if they can't clean up the power supply. I would be fine with electric machines if they would release the advanced solar technology to power it. Until then, WOT diesel it is!

The utterly insane amount of tech from the 70-80's that still isn't in use is biblical. Combine that with the "I don't care if it doesn't affect me directly" mentality and turning a blind eye to horrific pollution in industrial countries..... we are seriously en route to Wall-e being a reality.
I'm not looking to wall-e.... just bad actors (ie. black hats)!
 

John C.

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Jun 11, 2007
Messages
12,870
Location
Northwest
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Machinery & Equipment Appraiser
Pretty impressive. Have you heard of the Uber taxi service going on in one of our cities?
 
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