Xref: utzoo comp.ai:1537 rec.railroad:1256
Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att-cb!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!mailrus!ames!pasteur!agate!violet.berkeley.edu!lagache
From: lagache@violet.berkeley.edu (Edouard Lagache)
Newsgroups: comp.ai,rec.railroad
Subject: Expert Systems in the Railroad Industry.
Keywords: AI, Railroads, Expert Systems.
Message-ID: <8816@agate.BERKELEY.EDU>
Date: 16 Apr 88 18:00:17 GMT
Sender: usenet@agate.BERKELEY.EDU
Reply-To: lagache@violet.berkeley.edu (Edouard Lagache)
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
Lines: 38



          I attended a lecture by Hubert Dreyfus on the problems in
     Artificial Intelligence, and he mentioned that he was aware of only 2
     Expert systems that work as well or better than the human experts that
     they were based on.  What does this have to do with trains?  Well, one
     of the systems (called ALPS) is designed to optimally load a cargo
     planes, which is a problem that looks isomorphic with the problem of
     loading a railroad switch yard.

          That raises an interesting question for those interested in
     computers and trains: what sort of expert systems have developed for
     the railroad industry?  It seems to me that there are a number of
     promising areas:

     1.)  Scheduling.

     2.)  Optimal switching moves and train assembly.

     3.)  Cargo routing and loading.

     4.)  Equipment Maintenance.

          Does anyone know of what work (if any) has been done by railroads
     or A.I. outfits in this area?  Interestingly enough, Dreyfus would
     probably claim that the first 3 areas would be very promising domains
     for expert systems.


                                             Edouard Lagache
                                             School of Education
                                             U.C. Berkeley
                                             lagache@violet.berkeley.edu



     P.S. I has posted this to both 'rec.railroad', and 'comp.ai'.  Please
          don't reply to both groups unless it is truly of general interest.