Interesting findings on the internet

[tggzzz]

Tight round about and extra length buses. I fail to see the problem?

So did they, "they" being the system architects (route planners) and implementers (bus drivers)

[EC8010]

What they needed was a nice Routemaster double-decker bus. Many, many years ago, there was a feature on "Blue Peter" about Routemaster busses that showed how they were tested. Apparently, they had to not tip over even if the upper deck was full and the lower empty and the bus tipped to an extreme angle (I forget the angle). Even as a child, I wondered why. When I lived in Maida Vale, I shopped in Kilburn and saw a bus turning right to go up the hill towards Hampstead Heath. Then I understood why such stability was required.

https://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/collections/ ... 2002-18969

[tggzzz]

(I forget the angle).

My recollection from school physics or applied maths lessons was 28 degrees.

I suspected that was a faulty neuron firing, but it is supported by your link and by the slightly ambiguous:

[Zenith]

I'm sure I've seen that or a similar picture in an O Level physics book. It looks to me that the slope is at 28 degrees but the bus has toppled and is at over 30 degrees, being stopped from falling on its side by the rear retaining rope. The slope of the bus is definitely greater than the slope of the test ramp, as can be seen by continuing references, such as the bottom of the list meters.

[AVGresponding]

You'd expect the angle on the bus to be larger in any case, due to compression of the suspension on the loaded side

[tggzzz]

While walking the dog I came across a semi-autonomous paint pot trundling along a lane towards some playing fields. Somewhat like this one in Milton Keynes



Anyway, this paint pot was indeed GPS controlled. All the operator had to do was position it occasionally, leaving it to neatly paint all the lines.

[Zenith]

You'd expect the angle on the bus to be larger in any case, due to compression of the suspension on the loaded side

Then maybe the slope was tilted at 28 degrees necessary for the test, but the bus was just on the verge of toppling and was at 35 degrees because the suspension was compressed as you suggested. Very impressive anyway.

[Zenith]

While walking the dog I came across a semi-autonomous paint pot trundling along a lane towards some playing fields. Somewhat like this one in Milton Keynes

The first time I saw one of those, the thing which occurred was the scope for mischief such contraptions offered.

This is an early model. The next generation which will replace Hermes/Evri drivers, will have advanced features such as throwing the parcel over a wall and having a camera appearing on a stalk to take a snap, or for no apparent reason, delivering it to an address three doors down, and hiding it round the back where it will be discovered a week later soaked through.

[tggzzz]

DPD machine in MK (an Ottobot) won't throw anything. It arrives, you use a PIN to open it, Tough luck if you aren't there, presumably.

https://www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/news/peo ... se-4867106

[nixiefreqq]

our local "giant" supermarket has "Marty". an annoying waste of tech that feckin' follows me around from aisle to aisle.

one of these days i'm gonna' go shopping with some tools and disassemble the rolling bastard.


https://www.tiktok.com/@giantfoodstores ... 8605747511

[tggzzz]

Daughter has one of those things, minus the giraffe neck.

Couldn't you put a hopper full of powder on its arse, so that wherever it goes ends up dirtier.

I've long predicted that there will be lots of ways of spoofing such machines, e.g. painting potholes on a road. University cities in June should be especially hostile environments, e.g. road signs diverting all the local traffic through the campus.

[Zenith]

DPD machine in MK (an Ottobot) won't throw anything. It arrives, you use a PIN to open it, Tough luck if you aren't there, presumably.

If you haven't got a PIN a crowbar will do.

A big problem with deliveries is finding no one in when they call. You probably have to book a slot to receive the drone and are sent the PIN over the phone. Then it rolls up and you open it with the PIN. A few in a pilot scheme is one thing, hundreds roaming the streets is another. I can see them being kidnapped, vandalised, trapped, turned on their backs, accused of causing accidents, etc.

[tggzzz]

Oh, those possibilities are endless

I'd start by asking what happens when a *bot on a pavement meets an old person's buggy coming in the other direction. Or a blind person with long stick or dog.

[nixiefreqq]

"When Marty the robot encountered a single grape on the floor of a grocery store produce department, it immediately stopped and identified the item as a potential hazard. Marty's response is a key part of its function as an autonomous safety robot.
Here is what happened:
Hazard Detection: Marty's sensors detected the grape, recognizing it as a slip-and-trip hazard.
Alert System: The robot's blue lights turned yellow, and it repeatedly announced, "Caution, hazard detected," in both English and Spanish. An overhead announcement was also triggered to alert employees.
Human Intervention: A store manager had to physically pick up the grape and push a reset button on the robot before Marty could resume its normal duties of scanning the aisles."

shouldn't there be a button on the back of marty's neck that disables him? isn't that one of Asimov's laws?

[Zenith]

Hasty application of immature technology. It needs a Terminator which could detect the grape, gather it up, then investigate who had made the unauthorised deposition and terminate them.

[EC8010]

What were they thinking of in making the thing look like that? Any right-minded person encountering such an object with its silly "face" is going to want to do something gratuitously offensive to it. A child would draw a moustache on it. A teenager would probably add some other bits of anatomy. An adult might trap it in a barricade of boxes (like those yellow ones behind it). Hanging a load of buckets around its "neck" is a possibility. Or perhaps just an inverted bucket over its head...

[MED6753]

Shit like this is why I order my groceries online and have them delivered.

[Zenith]

I suppose with the delivery drones there's the germ of a good idea there although it's a long way from being worked out properly. With Marty, the in store robot which can detect hazards that aren't hazardous, it's strictly gee whizz value, so they have to try to dress it up as more than it is and conform to what they assume are people's ideas of robots.

[Zenith]

Shit like this is why I order my groceries online and have them delivered.

And tell me, are they delivered by the little bots tggzzz encountered?

[tggzzz]

Shit like this is why I order my groceries online and have them delivered.

I prefer going to the shops and browsing for what is good/new/cheap.

Searching online would mean I would stay with repeat purchases, and miss serendipity. Plus the they would also make stupid substitution for the item I really needed.

There's a reason for the "Waitrose effect", where house prices are higher near that supermarket. And lower where there's only a Tesco.

There are three Waitrose shops near me

[MED6753]

Shit like this is why I order my groceries online and have them delivered.

And tell me, are they delivered by the little bots tggzzz encountered?

Nope. Delivered by a nice lady driving a motor vehicle.

[MED6753]

Shit like this is why I order my groceries online and have them delivered.

I prefer going to the shops and browsing for what is good/new/cheap.

Searching online would mean I would stay with repeat purchases, and miss serendipity. Plus the they would also make stupid substitution for the item I really needed.

There's a reason for the "Waitrose effect", where house prices are higher near that supermarket. And lower where there's only a Tesco.

There are three Waitrose shops near me

Whatever floats your boat. Grocery shopping is mostly about repeat purchases. Blondie comes up with new things she wants to cook and we order additional as required. Any substitutions must be approved by us or the item isn't ordered.

I can't remember the last time serendipity struck me in a grocery.

Edit....maybe once during covid when they finally got toilet paper back in stock.

[Zenith]

Shit like this is why I order my groceries online and have them delivered.

And tell me, are they delivered by the little bots tggzzz encountered?

Nope. Delivered by a nice lady driving a motor vehicle.

Are you sure it isn't a cyborg?

[tggzzz]

I can't remember the last time serendipity struck me in a grocery.

I always look at the end-of-life produce, because that "forces" me to look at stuff I wouldn't otherwise notice or consider.

Recent serendipitous finds include bag of fresh mussels, raw lobster tails, venison haunch, yuzu juice, several slow cooked meals, John Dory, Barber's 1833 cheddar, shichimi togarashi, a Spice Tailor Keralan coconut curry sauce, etc.

[AVGresponding]

You'd expect the angle on the bus to be larger in any case, due to compression of the suspension on the loaded side

Then maybe the slope was tilted at 28 degrees necessary for the test, but the bus was just on the verge of toppling and was at 35 degrees because the suspension was compressed as you suggested. Very impressive anyway.

Yeah it's quite visually disturbing to see, and somewhat counter-intuitive. It would be instructive to see where the actual centre of mass is.