Moving people fast over shorter distances is also a critical issue. And
within this problem, turns are the biggest engineering riddle. The French
have avoided the issue by installing a completely straight dual speed automated
walkway. You move from a slower conveyor onto a faster one. The system is
not recommended for people with canes, and is running at about 7 m.p.h.,
and could do 9 mph.
The solution to turning is part of the Hallitube patent, under "Adjuvant
technologies". The common solution would be to raise the sides of the
conveyor in the turn to make use of centrifugal force. This stresses the
belt, if done with the sharp angle really necessary to counteract centrifugal
force at about 20-30 mph. It also makes hopping back on via side-by-side
slower belts difficult. Look at the images. The male is approaching the break
between the the two separate belts. (Gap-covering rollers not shown). He
raises his hands and keeps his balance has he comes in contact with a padded
rotating vertical conveyor, pushes himself off, and moves in the new direction.
Hi-speed systems such as this one need to be surrounded by fall cushions
covered with a soapy lubricating solution. Participants require a short license
exam in which they have to demonstrate confident riding of a belt 5 km per
hour faster than deployed systems, while holding a briefcase. Not shown in
the image are multiple, slower belts which also resolve merging issues.
Such devices are described in Asimov SF books. Note that this system is far
simpler than the French one: They have two adjacent conventional handrails.
Handrails are a bad omen, because they massively increase the number
of moving parts, making profitablility difficult, requiring more maintenance.
With handrails, you have a non-moving wall right beside you. Not fun. The
handrails also make merges difficult: You have to remove them during the
merge, but then you have to restart them, and this means exposing the fast,
unprotected rider to a hard object directly in their path. Not a good idea.
Better to train the rider population, and if they fall, let them slide on
the cushions. By not having handrails, you encourage body-english, and a
stable leg position. We claim ours costs 1/4 less to construct given
the same motor for the conveyor, and ours can turn and merge.
|
Hallipath
- The hi-speed moving sidewalk better than the new French 9 km p.h.. "Trottoir"
bravenet.com